Gooding Joint School District No. 231
STUDENTS 3345
Use of Restraint, Seclusion and Aversive Techniques for Students
Conduct of Employees Directed Toward Students:
The use by appropriately trained District personnel towards or directed at any student of any form of restraint or seclusion as defined in this policy, is prohibited except in circumstances where proportional restraint or seclusion of a student is necessary when a student’s conduct creates a reasonable belief in the perspective of a District employee, that the conduct of the student has placed the student, the employee or any other individual in imminent danger of serious bodily harm.
The employee or any employee who is a witness to this event shall immediately seek out the assistance of the school’s administration and if such administrator is not available a certificated or classified employee with special training in seclusion and restraint, if available. Upon the arrival of such individual, the administrator or if no administrator is available, the most senior trained individual on seclusion or restraint shall take control over the situation.
Seclusion and/or restraint of a student shall immediately be terminated when it is decided that the student is no longer an immediate danger to him/herself or to any other third person and/or if it is determined that the student is exhibiting extreme distress and/or at such time that appropriate administrative personnel have taken possession of the child and/or upon such time that the parent/legal guardian of the child has retaken possession of the child.
Regardless of employee training status, no District personnel shall use any form of aversive technique against any school student.
If a situation occurs where a properly trained District employee must use acts of restraint or seclusion against a school student, the following shall occur:
The employee shall immediately report to their building principal, in writing, the following information:
The date the event occurred
The circumstances leading to the event
The student involved
Other witnesses or participants to the event
The building principal shall notify the Superintendent’s Office of the event, providing the Superintendent’s Office with a copy of the report of events.
The building principal shall ascertain if any of the school’s video equipment captured the event on a recording.
If such event was captured on recording, the principal shall take all best efforts to maintain a copy of the recording and provide such to the Superintendent’s Office for the Superintendent’s official records of the event.
The Superintendent or designee shall ascertain the special needs status of the student involved in the seclusion or restraint and shall ascertain and maintain documentation as to whether or not such events were consistent with or
contraindicated due to the student’s psychiatric, medical or physical condition(s).
The Superintendent or designee of the Superintendent shall notify the parent or legal guardian of the subject student of the situation and the event of restraint or seclusion via telephone and provide the parent/legal guardian with the name and telephone contact information of the building principal where the parent may obtain additional information regarding the event.
The Superintendent or designee of the Superintendent shall provide the parent/legal guardian of the student with written notice of the event of restraint or seclusion of their student.
The Superintendent’s office shall maintain documentation as to events of restraint and seclusion and shall prepare any and all necessary reports to legal entities upon whom such reports are or may become due pursuant to state and federal regulations.
Training of School Personnel:
As part of the training and preparation of each certificated administrator, certificated teacher and in-building classified employee of the District, the following shall occur:
Training to personnel as to proper situations and events leading to student seclusion and intervention, including possible preventative alternatives to seclusion and/or restraint, safe physical escort, de-escalation of student crisis situations and positive behavioral intervention techniques and supports.
Training of personnel in crisis/conflict management and emergency situations which may occur in the school setting, including examples and demonstrations of proper activities and techniques and trainers observing employee use of proper activities and techniques in the training setting.
Techniques to utilize to limit the possibility of injury to the student, the employee and any other third party in the area.
Information as to the school’s student seclusion areas in each respective school building to which the employee is assigned.
Training in CPR and basic first aid.
Provision of the employee with a copy of this policy.
It is a goal that all new employees are trained in the area of student restraint and seclusion during their first week of employment. However, this may not be able to occur due to realities of the operation of a school district. If an employee has not yet undergone training and a situation necessitating student restraint or seclusion occurs, and another properly trained employee of the District is present at the event, the properly trained employee shall take the lead in addressing the student crisis.
Designated Locations:
Each school building for which students are present must have a building designated location for student seclusion.
It is the responsibility of the building’s principal, or designee of the principal, to assure that the building’s designated seclusion location is a safe and clean location and that such location has appropriate supervision when any student has been placed into seclusion pursuant to this policy.
Appropriate supervision shall include an adult in the seclusion location which has continuous visual observation of the secluded student.
Definitions:
For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions shall apply:
Restraint – the immobilization or reduction of a student’s freedom of movement for the purpose of preventing harm to students or others through: chemical, manual method, physical or mechanical device, material or equipment.
Seclusion – involuntary confinement in a room or other space during which a student is prevented from leaving or reasonably believing that the he/she can leave or be prevented from leaving through: manually, mechanically or electronically locked doors that when closed cannot be opened from the inside; blocking or other physical interference by staff; or coercive measures, such as the threat of restraint, sanctions, or the loss of privileges that the student would otherwise have, used for the purpose of keeping the student from leaving the area of seclusion.
Aversive Technique – physical, emotional or mental distress as a method of redirecting or controlling behavior.
Annual Review:
On an annual basis, the Superintendent or designee shall review this policy and make a determination as to whether or not any modifications or amendments to this policy are necessary and/or should be proposed to the District’s board.
In conducting this annual review, such individual shall also review the reports of all events of seclusion and/or restraint that occurred with the District’s students in the past school year. This review will include an analysis as to whether or not the District’s personnel are following the terms of this policy, whether additional training activities are necessary or if there is any weakness in the implementation of this policy that can be strengthened.
Cross Reference: 3360 Discipline of Students with Disabilities Policy History:
Adopted on: July 17, 2012
Revised on: