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PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES FOR ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS WITH STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMICOne of the biggest safety issues that we are facing upon returning to brick and mortar learning, is how do we keep students and ourselves safe during a pandemic where close contact is encouraged to be limited. As a reminder, since the passing of a state law in 2013, PBIS, Seclusion and Restraint law, every school building in the state of Ohio must have a Student Support Team (SST) that is trained to engage in physical controls in order to protect ALL students in Ohio school buildings. This document is being provided to assist building staff with adherence to that state law while also complying with COVID-19 safety guidelines. This document will cover updated pandemic specific CPI information as well as the use of proactive and verbal interventions, physical interventions, and physical controls across a number of situations and settings. The information in this document is by no means comprehensive, but it is a start. Along with this assistance document, each building has been assigned a CPI instructor to serve as a CPI/SST liaison. This liaison can directly help SST’s with determining which situations should be labeled crisis, and with creating plans for how to appropriately respond to both crisis and non-crisis situations. Please remember that when staff trained in CPI, including your CPI/SST liaison, are in your building, they are there to assist with planning and/or crisis situations and are not to be used for classroom management or teacher coverage. “We all have a part to play when it comes to keeping children safe, and nothing has more impact than the voice of experience.” Laura Harris“It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” Frederick DouglassIt is the expectation that, as you have been trained to do, you will use CPI verbal de-escalation techniques first in order to attempt to prevent the need for physical intervention. However, if the situation escalates and the student becomes a danger to self or others, the expectation is that you will intervene in a manner that is appropriate to the situation. If this requires physical intervention to ensure student and staff safety, then you are to do so.CPI CERTIFICATION AND TRAININGIf you received a CPI initial or refresher training, AND were certified through a CCS PD, AND were signed off on by a CCS certified instructor between the dates of 06/03/2019 and 03/13/2020 you will continue to be certified.The question of how CPI will be addressed during remote learning has been a consideration for our CPI team and Special?Education department since the emergency closures in the spring. CPI, the corporation, has allowed trained staff to extend their certification to encompass 2 total years before needing a renewal.? This is a one-time concession due to the coronavirus pandemic. If your certification was current between 06/03/2019 and 03/13/2020, you will not need to re-certify (take a “refresher” course) until the summer of 2021. If you are NOT current on your CPI certification, meaning you were not certified and signed off on by an instructor between 06/03/2019 and 03/13/2020, or you are a new CCS staff member, you will be required to take a 12 hour CPI initial course once the CPI instructors are able to provide training sessions that follow all state and federal safety guidelines.???All current in-person CPI sessions on CCS PDS are cancelled at this time.??In person CPI initial sessions will be offered again on CCS PDS once the CPI instructors are able to provide training sessions that follow all state and federal safety guidelines.??Please note, there will be no refreshers until June of 2021.?If you have questions, please feel free to contact?John Brunton at jbrunton2739@columbus.k12.oh.us. Changes in the above plan could be changed pending updated information and/or district plans.?PHYSICAL CONTROLS AND PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONSOnly staff trained in CPI are to be putting students in physical controls. We only use full physical controls as a LAST RESORT, meaning:Student is a danger to themselves or othersAll verbal direction/redirection has ceased to be effectiveThe behavior the student is engaged in is more dangerous than the risk of being in a controlGuidance from CCS Health ServicesPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE) is needed if engaging in direct contact with or being within 6 feet of someone for 15 cumulative minutes or moreExamples of times this level of contact/closeness could likely occur:ProceduresTherapies/Evaluations (OT, PT, SLP, psychologist, counselor)Instruction (hand over hand, physically guiding)Physical controls (CPI approved physical controls)Physical intervention (CPI approved physical interventions, physically escorting)PPE recommended:Surgical/medical facemaskFace shield or goggles Gloves Gowns*** ***if bodily fluid contact is expectedPPE is expected to be used to keep both staff and students safe. If you are in a situation where you will need to put a student in a physical control, Health Services is suggesting that the above PPE be worn. Please remember that it is our job to keep students safe and that putting on PPE should not take priority over keeping a student safe.It will be the responsibility of each building’s SST, administration, and CPI trained staff to view the PPE procedural video created by Health Services in order to understand how to put on and take off the PPE when doing a physical control/intervention.CPI trained staff:Since CPI training has been put on hold due to health and safety concerns, CPI trained staff that are current in their CPI certification may be called on by administration and building staff to assist in crisis situationsPlease remember that it is the decision of the CPI trained staff person as to whether or not they feel that a situation has escalated to the point of requiring a physical control; they should not be directed by others to engage in a physical controlBuilding administration should be mindful of how often they are calling on CPI trained staff for assistance; they shouldn’t be called to every crisis situation.It is encouraged that CPI trained staff remember that you may be some of the only staff in the building with a current CPI certification and your assistance in crisis situations may be necessary in order to achieve our goal of keeping all students safe in the buildings.Buildings should be aware of the members of the SST that have current CPI certifications. Those team members will be useful in providing support in crisis situations. If an administrator or SST is not sure if someone is current on their CPI certification, contact John Brunton at jbrunton2739@columbus.k12.oh.us.CREATING A PHYSICAL INTERVENTION PLANThe Physical Intervention Plan and how the separation rooms are to be manned and utilized should be individualized and specific to each building. A form has been provided with this document to assist teams in creating the building Physical Intervention Plan.Guidance will be offered within this document as to how to complete that form, but there are other options for support as well:As mentioned previously, each building has been assigned a CPI instructor to serve as CPI/SST liaison. Each CPI instructor will serve as liaison for 5-7 buildings. Your building liaison can meet with building administration and the SST to help create the Physical Intervention Plan. A list of CPI instructors and their buildings is provided with this document.Another support for creating the building Physical Intervention Plan and procedures for a building is the building’s assigned PBIS Coordinator. Below is the list of divisions and PBIS Coordinators. They are here to help with culture and climate in buildings.Region 1-Kathryn RighterRegion 2 (Coverage) ES-Brigette Lowery MS/HS-Kathryn RighterRegion 3-Amber HillRegion 4-Jacquie PencekRegion 5- (Coverage) ES-Jacquie Pencek MS/HS-Kathryn RighterRegion 6-Brigette LowerySee Physical Intervention Planning FormTROUBLE SHOOTINGVERBAL DE-ESCALATION SKILLSRemember that 80-85% of CPI focuses on the verbal de-escalation of crisis situations. Look back into the CPI books and focus on the levels of a crisis and where the student truly is on the continuum in order to understand the best response style.Focus on watching your tone, volume, cadence, body language, and facial expression when you are giving directions to the students in the crisis.Remember that the students have been away from us for over 7 months and many of the students are having issues readjusting to being back in school buildings. For that matter so are many of the staff. Keep in mind that we do not know what has gone in in a student’s or staff member’s life for these last 7 months.Due to portrayal in the media, among other factors, remember that many students are either extremely fearful of COVID-19 or have been taught that it does not exist. We as the adults have to be aware of these mindsets and adjust our understanding, approach, and directions and redirections accordingly.CPI instructors are currently working on a “CPI booster shot” to remind us all of our verbal de-escalation skills.Be aware that if you truly have time to put on your PPE without the student being in a harmful situation, does the student actually need to be put into a physical control?Putting on your PPE could be a good way to distract the student out of behavior and result in not having to engage in a physical control.PHYSICAL CONTROLSPhysical controls are to be used as a LAST RESORT, are to only be CPI approved controls, are to only be done by currently certified CPI trained staff, and are to be reported on the Incident Report form on Infinite Campus.Please consider meeting with your CPI/SST liaison to create a plan for your building on how and when physical controls and interventions will be done.CPI approved physical transports and escorts may be used to get students to the separation room, but physical transports must be reported as controls. PPE should be worn for transports and escorts.Please be aware that if a child is taken to a separation room and they try to leave the room, if a staff member keeps the child in the separation room it is considered a seclusion. That seclusion will need to be reported on the Incident Report form on Infinite Campus.Again, Health Services is suggesting the use of PPE by staff (mask, face shield, gloves, gown) in order to engage in a physical control. However, putting on PPE should not take priority over keeping a student safe. OTHER SUGGESTIONSBuildings complete a checklist to ensure they have the necessary materials within their building and within the classrooms to safely engage in physical controls Have one checklist for items needed in a roomHave one checklist for items needed in a buildingBuilding administration needs to confirm with their CPI liaison that all materials are readyWearing PPE to perform physical controlsIf there are high frequency students requiring physical intervention or controls, then one (or two people depending on the age and size of students) have a gown on when that/those student(s) are in the classroom. After finishing a control, change gowns or wipe the gown down (depending on what the gowns are made of)Decision Making MatrixCPI trained staff have been taught how to utilize the Decision Making Matrix and should be encouraged to consult it in order to help decide which students/situations require physical controls.The CPI/SST liaison can be a resource to consult about the Decision Making Matrix.Students who are triggered/anxious about being sent to separation roomsSeclusion in separation rooms could trigger anxiety in some students. CPI trained staff escorting or transporting a student to a separation room may have to remain with the student for a few minutes to make sure a physical control or physical intervention is not needed. Separation RoomsParents have 30 minutes to pick up their student from the separation room, if they are able to pick them up at all. Health services are recommending there be no more than 15 minutes of cumulative contact with a student that is suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms. Consider shifts and other ways to keep physical contact down to less than 15 cumulative minutes with students in the separation room.If you do have to physically intervene with a student to keep them safe before you are able to put your PPE on, remember to wash your hands and, if possible, change clothes once the physical intervention is completed.For any other questions, comments, or needs pertaining to CPI and/or physical controls, please contact John Brunton at either 614-365-2274 or at jbrunton2739@columbus.k12.oh.us. ................
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