0291 Physical Restraint

 

The purpose of physical restraint in a Youth Residential Center is to prevent a youth from causing injury to self or others and is used only when other means of behavior control is unsuccessful.

 

It is expected that therapeutic relationships among staff and residents will usually be sufficient to de-escalate incidents of out-of-control behavior of youth in care.  When it is not possible to avoid the use of restraint in helping a youth regain control, passive physical restraint may be used to:

1. end a disturbance which threatens physical injury to the youth;
2. end a disturbance that threatens physical injury to others;
3. remove a dangerous object from a youth with which the youth has threatened harm.     

 

An emergency safety intervention shall be performed in a manner that is safe, proportionate, and appropriate to the severity of the behavior, and shall take into consideration the resident's chronological and developmental age, size, gender, medical, behavioral health and personal history.

 

Physical restraint is the application of physical force without any mechanical device, for the purpose of restricting the free movement of a resident’s body.  Physical restraint should be used only as last resort after all verbal de-escalation techniques have failed and when the resident is at-risk of harming themselves or others.

 

Physical restraint shall not be used for the purpose of punishment or discipline.

 

The Department for Children and Families will not purchase or continue to purchase services from providers who use physical restraint in a manner contrary to methods jointly approved by the Department for Children and Families and the Department of Health and Environment or otherwise in violation of statute or regulations.