Alabama Administrative Code › Title 660 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES › Chapter 660-5-49 - BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT › Section 660-5-49-.03 - Behavior Management Interventions

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1)
Behavior Management
			 Interventions
- Interventions used to manage children's
			 behaviors and must be authorized by the child and family planning team and
			 documented in the individualized service plan. The most normalized least
			 restrictive interventions must be used to manage behaviors before the more
			 restrictive interventions are pursued.
(a)
General Guidelines
.
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.