- (a) The agency shall have a written discipline policy that is consistently followed.
- (b) Discipline shall be directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control.
(c) Discipline shall be appropriate to the child’s:
- (1) Age;
- (2) Development; and
- (3) History.
(d) The following disciplinary actions shall not be used:
(1) Denial of:
- (A) Meals;
- (B) Sleep;
- (C) Shelter;
- (D) Essential clothing; or
- (E) Treatment plan activities;
(2)
- (A) Denial of parental visits or regular phone and mail contact with family.
- (B) Nondisciplinary treatment planning issues are accepted;
- (3) Lewd or obscene language;
(4) Derogatory comments about the child or the child’s:
- (A) Family;
- (B) Race; or
- (C) Gender;
- (5) Restriction to a room for more than a short period of time without periodic observation;
- (6) Restriction to a dark room or area;
- (7) Locked isolation, psychiatric facilities excepted;
- (8) Physical injury or threat of bodily harm;
- (9) Humiliating or degrading action;
- (10) Extremely strenuous work or exercise; or
- (11) Mechanical or chemical restraints, psychiatric facilities excepted.
(e) Physical restraint:
- (A) Shall be initiated only by trained staff, only to prevent injury to:
(i) The child;
(ii) Other people; or
- (iii) Property; and
- (B) Shall not be initiated solely as a form of discipline.
(f)
- (1) Physical restraints shall be performed using minimal force and time necessary.
- (2) “Physical restraint” means the application of physical force without the use of any device for the purposes of restraining the free movement of a resident’s body.
- (3) Briefly holding a child, without undue force, in order to calm or comfort them or holding a hand to safely escort a child from an initial area to another area is not considered a physical restraint.
(g) Documentation of all restraints shall be maintained and include the:
- (1) Child’s name;
- (2) Date;
- (3) Time;
- (4) Reason;
- (5) Staff involved; and
- (6) Measures taken prior to restraint.
(h) A child shall not be allowed to administer discipline.
- (i) Searches of a child or a child’s personal property shall be for reasons limited to:
- (1) Safety and security of children and staff;
- (2) Cases of suspected theft; or
- (3) Suspicion of possession of items that are not permitted by agency policy.
(j) Any searches requiring removal of clothing shall be:
- (1) Done in privacy; and
- (2) Witnessed by two (2) staff of the same gender as the child.