Do you think that professional development and training can help staff manage their classrooms more safely?
In Virginia,
House Bill 1106 requires the Commission on Youth to consult with the state’s Department of Education and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to review:
- Statewide policies and regulations on the use of seclusion and restraint in public and private elementary and secondary schools.
- Methods used in other states to reduce and eliminate the use of seclusion and restraint.
The bill requires the Commission to make recommendations for the modernization of Virginia's policies and regulations on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools and:
- Submit its recommendations to the General Assembly by November 30, 2014.
- Report its findings to the Governor and the 2015 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
The law is intended to spark action to ensure that Virginia schools equip staff with skills for handling violent student behavior safely. It's part of a flurry of legislation that's been passing in states throughout the US, requiring staff to be trained in PBIS, de-escalation skills, and other methods for restraint prevention and reduction. Similarly, a federal bill, known as the
Keeping All Students Safe Act, is intended to increase safety for students and staff. If passed, KASA will give all schools in the US a consistent policy on the use of restraint and seclusion.
We will continue to monitor the development of Virginia’s new law and post updates as the Commission develops its recommendations for reducing restraint in Virginia schools.
Find out how
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training can help your school decrease and prevent the use of restraint. Also get PBIS
concepts, premises, and strategies and
helpful hints about behavior management.
For information about other states' legislative requirements and how we can help, check out our
Legislation posts. Another helpful resource is
My State's Seclusion and Restraint Laws from the Autism National Committee.