New Hampshire's Senate Bill 396 updates its existing statute, Chapter 324, which limits the use of child restraint practices in facilities and schools and regulates the use of seclusion and restraint.

Both the existing statute and the new law (effective September 30, 2014) require training for staff, stating that restraint may be used only by trained personnel using extreme caution when other interventions have failed or have been deemed inappropriate. Under the law, restraint may be used only to ensure safety when there's a risk of harm to the child or others.

SB 396 also updates documentation and notification requirements regarding restraint. It requires schools to notify a child’s parents or guardian of an incident at the earliest possible time. Additionally, it requires the New Hampshire Board of Education to develop a process for receiving complaints regarding the improper use of restraint and seclusion in schools.

Does Your School Comply With SB 396?
CPI can help your school or district meet New Hampshire’s requirements. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training empowers staff with prevention and de-escalation skills to help avoid the need for restraint. It also equips staff with safer, less-restrictive physical intervention procedures to be used only as a last resort. With a focus on prevention, training is flexible and can be tailored to your school’s needs. With our train-the-trainer option, select staff can be certified to teach the program to other staff on a continuing basis.

How to Get Training
We can bring the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training program on site to your school, or you can attend training in one of more than 150 public locations throughout the US.

Learn more about restraint reduction and CPI training.