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1. General guidelines which apply to all
behavior management interventions utilized by residential and non-residential
providers, including foster family home, to manage children's behaviors
include:
(i) Interventions shall be based
upon the needs of each individual child and supportive of the child's
permanency goal as stated in the family's individualized service
plan;
(ii) Decisions regarding the
use of specific interventions must be based upon an assessment that considers,
among other things, whether the safety of the child and others can be
adequately met by the proposed interventions, and the behavior is being managed
with the minimum physical and psychological risk to the child and
others;
(iii) The parent(s) or
other legally responsible person/agency and the age-appropriate child shall be
informed of the purpose and benefits as well as the potential risk involved in
behavior management interventions that will be used with a child;
(iv) Behavior management interventions must
be administered in a manner which assists in establishing safety and emotional
well-being for the child, offers ways for the child to gain control and have
needs met without risk to personal safety or the safety of others, and
demonstrates respect for the child as a person of worth and value;
(v) The child's behavior must be managed in a
way that promotes the child's personal growth and assists in the development of
a positive self-concept;
(vi)
Interventions which stress the use of praise, supportive feedback and rewards
shall be the principle methods used, and these interventions must be managed in
a way that encourages and leads to self-regulation by the child;
(vii) The role of managing a child's behavior
may be delegated to another child only when
participating in an organized program of self-government which conforms to
these standards and which is properly supervised by group home or residential
staff;
(viii) Medication is to be
used only when needed to assist children in gaining control of their behavior
and if medically indicated by a qualified physician as a method of therapeutic
treatment and only as prescribed by the physician on the
prescription;
(ix) Seclusion and
restraint are to be used only when alternative interventions have been
unsuccessful or would not be practicable, and when needed to protect children
from seriously harming themselves or others, including other children, staff,
and family members, or needed to prevent substantial property damage;
(x) The DHR worker, caregiver or others, as
identified by the child and family planning team, will provide supportive
services necessary to implement interventions in the least restrictive
environment for the child; and
(xi)
Disagreements and grievances about the type of interventions being used will be
addressed in a fair, timely, and impartial manner by both DHR and provider
staff.
