049-4 Wyo. Code R. §§ 4-20 - Emergency Safety Intervention

(a) An emergency safety intervention is allowable only when there is an APPROVED Variance Request (with specific conditions as listed below (d) - (h)) to address unanticipated child behavior that places the child or others at serious threat of violence or injury (harm to self or others) if no intervention occurs.

(b) The only allowable emergency safety intervention is physical restraint.

(c) The purpose of physical restraint shall be to provide only that degree of physical control that the child is unwilling or unable to provide for him or herself and to prevent physical harm to self or others.

(d) If the organization is using physical restraint, all staff shall be oriented and trained in a nationally recognized program, which includes de-escalation techniques, for appropriate behavioral intervention procedures which shall include:

(i) Participation in annual, ongoing training that concludes with successful completion of a mandated competency test;

(ii) Periodic observation of each staff member performing a physical restraint shall be done by a supervisor of the facility who has been trained in restraint; and

(iii) If a supervisor of the facility or designee determines a staff member did not correctly perform a physical restraint or performed an inappropriate or unnecessary physical restraint, the staff member shall be immediately retrained and be restricted from performing further restraints until retraining occurs.

(e) Physical restraint shall only be used when the child has an active Individualized Education Plan (IEP) describing the use of physical restraints in certain circumstances for the specific child.

(f) Signed parental consent is required for the use of physical restraints and the parental consent shall be kept on file.

(g) Each program choosing to use physical restraint in the above mentioned circumstances, shall have a written physical restraint policy which is NOT part of the Discipline and Guidance policy.

(h) All use of physical restraint of a child shall be reported to the parent or legal guardian on the same day as the occurrence and reported in writing to the licenser within in 24 hours following occurrence.

Notes

049-4 Wyo. Code R. §§ 4-20

Adopted, Eff. 2/2/2022.