1. Emergency Safety Interventions
Presented by:
Linda Aldridge, Ed.D.
Joan Robbins, Ph.D.
Facilitator Notes
Intended Audience:
All staff, licensed and classified, who have experienced the initial all staff presentation and who will benefit from on-going professional development.
Presentation time:
15 minutes
Set Up:
Adults should be seated in small groups, three to six per group
A scenario is embedded; allow one minute discussion time for this scenario.
Do not extend thinking time. Remember, rapid pace.
Evaluation:
Quiz at end through Infinitec or to be downloaded and used on-site
Talking Points Explanation:
Power Point notes include key talking points that will be discussed in voice overs. Listen to participant discussion. Make sure talking points are emphasized, especially if talking points did not emerge in participant discussion.
Kansas State Department of Education | Landon State Office Building
900 SW Jackson St., Suite 102, Topeka, KS | |

2. All Staff Initial Training
ESI:
All Staff Initial Training
Facilitator Notes
Intended Audience:
All staff, licensed and classified, who have experienced the initial all staff presentation and who will benefit from on-going professional development.
Presentation time:
15 minutes
Set Up:
Adults should be seated in small groups, three to six per group
A scenario is embedded; allow one minute discussion time for this scenario.
Do not extend thinking time. Remember, rapid pace.
Evaluation:
Quiz at end through Infinitec or to be downloaded and used on-site
Talking Points Explanation:
Power Point notes include key talking points that will be discussed in voice overs. Listen to participant discussion. Make sure talking points are emphasized, especially if talking points did not emerge in participant discussion.
Kansas State Department of Education | Landon State Office Building
900 SW Jackson St., Suite 102, Topeka, KS | |

3. Presenters: Linda Aldridge, Ed.D. Joan Robbins, Ph.D.

4. Attention Please! This is important. Facilitator Notes
Please share with participants:
Short presentation (15 min.)
Accountability – evaluation at end of presentation
State requirement that EACH staff member has some minimum knowledge regarding emergency safety interventions
Voice over power point
Embedded scenarios for discussion (Power Point must be paused for participant discussion)
This is important.

5. Emergency Safety Interventions
Seclusion
Restraint
Talking Points
Based upon your knowledge of English, prior experience, so forth, what do you think these two words mean?
Spend no more than 30 seconds here. Quick think/pair/share to get everyone involved.
You are activating prior knowledge, establishing a basis for more explicit information coming within the next few minutes.
Emphasize – Seclusion and restraint are the two interventions referenced in emergency safety intervention law and policy.

6. Key Documents State Statute District Policy KSDE ESI Guidance Document
Talking Points
State law provides explicit requirements regarding seclusion and restraint.
Every district has a policy regarding emergency safety interventions.
KSDE establishes expectations via Emergency Safety Intervention Revised Guidance Document.
Documents are available on your district web-site and the KSDE web-site.

7. PREVENTION Relationships Social/emotional supports Plan of action
Supervision
Teach/model expectations
Predictable routines
Talking Points
Seclusion and restraint are EMERGENCY interventions.
If student behavior is predictable (has happened previously) PLAN for provision of supports that prevent dangerous situations from arising, or that can assist in de-escalation prior to emergence of dangerous behaviors.
An emergency means someone is about to get hurt or is getting hurt. Something needs to be done right away.
Through planning, avoid emergencies.

8. When is seclusion/restraint allowed?
Reasonable and immediate danger of physical harm
Present ability to affect such harm
Cease as soon as immediate danger ceases to exist
Violent action that is destructive of property
Talking Points
Key words are “immediate” and “present ability.”
Consider the “reasonable person” strategy.
Size and age of child, comparative physical status of adult, nature of danger, access to resources, etc. ALL impact the individual’s judgement at the time of the incident.
Property damage – Yes, damage to property can be a basis for utilizing ESIs, BUT consider:
District policy
Nature of “damage”
Is protection of property really worth possible injury to student and/or adult?

9. Definition - Seclusion
1) Purposefully placed
2) Isolated from adults and peers
3) Egress is not permitted or the student reasonably believes she is not allowed to leave
Talking Points
Based upon statutory language.
All three conditions must be met.
If the “adult present” is there solely to prevent egress, the child is still considered to be isolated and is, therefore, considered to be secluded.
If a teacher “directs” placement, it could be reasonably assumed that the student IS NOT permitted to leave.
Must be considered from the perspective of the child.

10. Seclusion – What it is NOT
Time out
Student chooses a safe space
Talking Points
Time out – when in accordance with established practice, does not involve isolation from others.
Sometimes a student may authentically “choose” to be in a place that, under different circumstances, might be used for seclusion.
Adult prompts a de-escalation strategy
Student utilizes pre-taught strategies to get some alone time
Remember, the situation MUST be evaluated from the perspective of the student.

11. Seclusion or Not Seclusion
Eight year old child in third grade classroom with peers
Throws stapler and scissors at classmates and teachers
Children and adults evacuate
From outside the classroom, adults hold the door shut, preventing egress
Child is alone in the classroom for eight minutes
Was this child secluded?
Talking Points
Consider conditions as presented
One minute discussion time
Consider legal definition of seclusion
What might be done to prevent this from occurring again?

12. Thoughts from Linda & Joan
Placed in room
Isolated from adults and peers
Not allowed to leave
Linda and Joan say:
Yes, this child was secluded.
Talking Points
Seclusion is a process, not a place.
What could have been done to prevent this?
What plans should be developed to be implemented in future situations?

13. Definition - Restraint
Bodily force used to substantially limit a student’s movement
Talking Points
Based upon statutory language.
Share key terms, but don’t get too hung up on the details.

14. Restraint – What it is NOT
Physical escort
Providing comfort, assistance, or instruction
Talking Point
Statutory language: “temporary touching or holding the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, or back of a student who is acting out for the purpose of inducing the student to walk to a safe location except that consensual, solicited, or unintentional contact and contact to provide comfort, assistance, or instruction shall not be deemed to be physical restraint”

15. Restraint or NOT Restraint
Four year old child yelling, kicking, flailing fists
Teacher places child in her lap to limit child’s movement
Child is told she will remain held until calm
Child remains held for two minutes and 14 seconds
Was this child restrained?
Talking Points
Take one minute to discuss this scenario.
Consider just the facts presented.
Focus on the legal definition of restraint.
What might be done to prevent this from occurring again?

16. Thoughts from Joan and Linda
Bodily force? Yes Substantially limited child’s movement? Yes Yes, physical restraint was used.
Talking Points
Prevention: What could be done instead?
What kind of plan should be developed for future situations?

17. Parental Rights Easy access to critical documents
Web-site and handbook requirements
Parental notification of an emergency safety intervention event
Talking Points
When in doubt, notify the parent.
Solid relationships are built on a foundation of trust, respect, and safe guarding of parent and student rights.
Parents might suspect a “cover-up” if it looks like school people are trying to hide something.

18. INVITE TRUST Talking Points INVITE trust.
Failure to notify parents results in distrust, appearance of cover-up, reasonable parental fear that important information is withheld.
INVITE TRUST

19. A quick quiz What have you learned? Talking Points
Participants may access Infinitec and complete the quiz.
Award professional development points as per local policy.

20. If you see something that might be seclusion or restraint…
If you see something that might be seclusion or restraint… Report the situation. Know your district policy.
Talking Points
All staff need to know about emergency safety interventions because, in the past, some common interactions might have been considered “business as usual.”
Times have changed; some (previously common) school occurrences might now meet the definition of seclusion or restraint.
There are legal and ethical considerations regarding on-going improvement of schooling practices.
Neither the Kansas State Department of Education nor the Kansas State Board of Education encourage or recommend the use of emergency safety interventions; every effort must be made to prevent use of such interventions. However, if an ESI is used, strict reporting requirements must be followed.
When we know better, we must do better!

21. Myron Melton, Education Program Consultant
Kansas State Department of Education
900 SW Jackson St.
Suite 102
The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:  KSDE General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, KSDE, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 102, Topeka, KS 66612, (785)