Time Out Rooms and Therapeutic Restraint

CODE: JKGA

Maine School Administrative District No. 31

TIME OUT ROOMS AND THERAPEUTIC RESTRAINT

The Board hereby authorizes school officials to use designated time out rooms and therapeutic restraint to the extent permitted by law and in a manner consistent with state law and regulations. The Superintendent is responsible for developing procedures for the use of designated time out rooms and therapeutic restraint. This policy and any accompanying procedures shall be reviewed at least annually by the Superintendent of his/her designee. The Superintendent shall recommend to the Board any needed changes in this policy.

For purposes of this policy and any accompanying procedures, the terms “designated time out room” and “therapeutic restraint” shall have the following meanings:

“Designated Time Out Room”

A designated time out room is a room used specifically to isolate a student for the purpose of bringing under control student behavior

that is dangerous or presents a risk of significant property damage. Dangerous behavior is behavior that presents a risk of injury or

harm to that student or to others and, in the judgement of those involved, cannot be controlled through interventions short of

isolation in the designated time out room.

This policy and any accompanying procedures do not apply to interventions such as sending a student to the principal’s office, to any

staff member’s room or office, or to any other such setting, but is instead limited to use of a room specifically designated by the

Superintendent for the purpose if isolating students as describe above. Use of this area to control student behavior must comply

with this policy and any procedures developed hereunder.

“Therapeutic Restraint”

Therapeutic restraint is physical restraint of a student for the purpose of preventing that student from injuring him/herself or others

when such restraint is undertaken in accordance with an individualized, written plan that specifically calls for therapeutic restraint.

Therapeutic restraint as defined in this policy and any accompanying procedures should be administered by personnel trained in that

restraint.

Therapeutic restraint does not include any intervention by any school official that would otherwise be governed by state law on the

use of reasonable force (20-A MRSA § 4009), which includes the use of a reasonable degree of force by school officials against

a person who is creating a disturbance, when the official believes that force is necessary to control the disturbing behavior or to

remove the person from the scene of the disturbance.

Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA § 4502(5)(M) and accompanying regulations

20-A MRSA § 4009

Ch. 33 § 1.2; Ch.124 § 10.04 (Me.Dept of Ed. Rules) and any significant changes in State & Federal Law

First Reading: 03/19/2003

Adopted: 04/16/2003

Updated: 04/16/2008

First Reading: 01/19/2011

Second Reading: 02/16/2011