J-48

 SECLUSION OR RESTRAINT OF STUDENTS

The Mountain Brook Board of Education requires that all schools and programs within the school district comply with State Board of Education Rule 290-3-1-.02(1)(f) regarding the use of “seclusion” or “restraint,” as those terms are defined within the rule.

Seclusion, Mechanical Restraint, Chemical Restraint

The Board of Education prohibits the use of seclusion, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint as those terms are defined in State Board of Education Rule 290-3-1-.02(1)(f). 

Physical Restraint

This policy is not intended to prevent the use of physical restraint in limited circumstances where a student is an immediate danger to himself or others and the student is not responsive to less intensive behavioral interventions, including verbal directives or other de-escalation techniques.  Physical restraint is prohibited as a form of discipline or punishment.

The Board of Education recognizes that in determining when and how to implement this policy and any procedures related to it, educators will be required to exercise their professional judgment and discretion.  Therefore, this policy is not intended to be construed as imposing ministerial duties on individual employees.  Further, it is not intended to interfere with the duties of law enforcement or emergency medical personnel.

For schools and programs within the school district that use physical restraint as defined within the State Board of Education rule, the Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement written procedures governing its use, which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

1.  Staff and faculty training on the use of physical restraint and the district’s policy and procedures related thereto;

2.  Documentation in written or electronic form of staff and faculty training on the use of physical restraint, including a list of participants in each training, which list must be made available to the Alabama Department of Education or any member of the public upon request;

3.  Written parental notification of the use of physical restraint within a reasonable time, not to exceed one school day from the date of the incident;

4.  Documentation of the use of physical restraint and a debriefing session held by staff or faculty participating in or supervising the restraint for each student in each instance in which the student is restrained;

5.  Periodic review of the use of restraint and the documentation described in paragraph 4 above;

6.  Annual reporting to the Board of the use of restraint and the accompanying documentation, as well as any prohibited use of seclusion and chemical, mechanical or physical restraint;

7.  Annual submission to the Alabama Department of Education of the documentation submitted to the Board in accordance with paragraph 6; and

8. Inclusion of the procedures in the school district’s Code of Conduct and/or the school’s student handbook.

Amended and re-posted 7/3/2012