Crisis Prevention and Intervention

Crisis Prevention and Intervention School Committee Policy
Updated on January 9, 2023


File: JKAA 

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT OF STUDENTS 

Maintaining an orderly, safe environment conducive to learning is an expectation of all staff members of  the school district. Further, students of the district are protected bylaw from the unreasonable use of  physical restraint. Such restraint shall be used only in emergency situations as a last resort and with  extreme caution after other lawful and less intrusive alternatives have failed or been deemed  inappropriate. 

When an emergency situation arises, and physical restraint is the only option deemed appropriate to  prevent a student from injuring themself, another student or school community member, a teacher or  employee or agent of the school district may use such reasonable force needed to protect students, other  persons or themselves from assault or imminent, serious, physical harm. 

The definitions of forms of restraint shall be as defined in 603 CMR 46.02. The use of mechanical  restraint, medical restraint, and seclusion is prohibited. 

The power of the School Committee or of any teacher or other employee or agent of the Committee to  maintain discipline on school property shall not include the right to inflict corporal punishment upon any  student.
Physical restraint, including prone restraint where permitted under 603 CMR 46.03, shall be considered  an emergency procedure of last resort and shall be prohibited except when a student’s behavior poses a  threat of assault, or imminent, serious, physical harm to themselves and/or others and the student is not  responsive to verbal directives or other lawful and less intrusive behavior interventions are deemed  inappropriate. 

The Superintendent will develop procedures identifying: 

Appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention; Methods of preventing student violence, self-injurious behavior, and suicide including crisis  planning and de-escalation of potentially dangerous behaviors among groups of students or  individuals; 

Descriptions and explanations of alternatives to physical restraint as well as the school’s method  of physical restraint for use in emergency situations; 

Descriptions of the school’s training and procedures to comply with reporting requirements  including, but not limited to making reasonable efforts to orally notify a parent of the use of  restraint within 24 hours of its imposition; 

Procedures for receiving and investigating complaints; 

Methods for engaging parents in discussions about restraint prevention and use of restraint solely  as an emergency procedure; 

A statement prohibiting: medication restraint, mechanical restraint, prone restraint unless  permitted by 603 CMR 46.03(1)(b), seclusion, and the use of physical restraint in a manner  inconsistent with 603 CMR 46.00; 

A process for obtaining Principal approval for a time out exceeding 30 minutes.

Each building Principal will identify staff members to serve as a school-wide resource to assist in ensuring proper administration of physical restraint. These staff members will participate in an in-depth training program in the use of physical restraint.
In addition, each staff member will be trained regarding the school’s physical restraint policy and  accompanying procedures. The Principal will arrange training to occur in the first month of each school  year, or for staff hired after the beginning of the school year, within a month of their employment. 

Physical restraint is prohibited as a means of punishment, or as a response to destruction of property,  disruption of school order, a student’s refusal to comply with a school rule or staff directive, or verbal  threats that do not constitute a threat of imminent, serious physical harm to the student or others. 

Physical restraint is prohibited when it is medically contraindicated for reasons including, but not  limited to, asthma, seizures, a cardiac condition, obesity, bronchitis, communication-related disabilities,  or risk of vomiting; 

The use of “time out” procedures during which a staff member remains accessible to the student shall  not be considered “seclusion restraint.” 

This policy and its accompanying procedures shall be reviewed and disseminated to staff annually and  made available to parents of enrolled students. The Superintendent shall provide a copy of the Physical  Restraint regulations to each Principal, who shall sign a form acknowledging receipt thereof. 

SOURCE: MASC Updated 2021 

ADOPTED: January 9, 2023 

LEGAL REF.: M.G.L. 71 :37G; 603 CMR 46.00 


CRISIS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROCEDURES

LINK TO PROCEDURES
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.