Summary: 

Effective: July 1, 2022 

In July of 2022, Senate Bill 705 went into effect. This legislation established new requirements for the use of restraint and seclusion in schools in the state of Maryland. Below is a summary of the effects of SB 705 and discussion on how Safety-Care can be used to meet the needs of staff and students.

How Safety-Care aligns: Numerous school districts throughout the United States and Canada rely upon QBS and our Safety-Care training to provide their staff members with the training they need to help maintain a safe and healthy learning environment. Safety-Care provides a comprehensive, supportive approach to incident prevention, de-escalation, and management. District staff will learn practical strategies for helping students that use evidence-based practices consistent with PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) and ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis).  

Safety-Care can meet the requirements of SB 705 in the following ways: 

With the adoption of Senate Bill 705, Maryland schools placed extensive limitations on the use of restraint and seclusion. Physical restraints are 

(B) A public agency may not use seclusion as a behavioral health intervention for a student.  
(C) Neither a public agency nor a nonpublic school may use physical restraint on a student as a behavioral health intervention unless: 

(1) physical restraint is necessary to protect the student or another individual from imminent serious physical harm; and  
(2) other, less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been demonstrated to be inappropriate for the student.  

How Safety-Care aligns: While Safety-Care does teach numerous physical safety procedures, the focus of our program is on de-escalation and positive behavior reinforcement. intervention strategy. Our approach stems from the use of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) that can prevent and manage challenge behavior. Safety-Care certified individuals are trained to use our Help, Prompt, and Wait strategies as early intervention procedures that effectively de-escalate potential crisis situations before any physical management is necessary.   

(A)(1) On or before December 1 each year, Each public agency and nonpublic school shall submit to the Department a report for the prior school year on:  

(I) The number of physical restraint incidents, disaggregated by the student’s jurisdiction, disability, race, gender, age, and type of placement;  
(II) The number of physical restraint incidents each student who had at least one physical restraint or seclusion incident, disaggregated by jurisdiction, disability, race, gender, age, and type of placement 
(II) The number of physical restraint incidents each student who had at least one physical restraint or seclusion incident, disaggregated by jurisdiction, disability, race, gender, age, and type of placement;  
(III) For nonpublic schools, the number of seclusion incidents, disaggregated by the student’s jurisdiction, disability, race, gender, and age; and  
(IV) For nonpublic schools, the number of seclusion incidents for each student who had at least one physical restraint or seclusion incident, disaggregated by jurisdiction, disability, race, gender, and age.  

How Safety-Care aligns: Safety-Care trains requires that all trainees abide by state and agency regulations regarding reporting and de-briefing requirements. Additionally, the Safety-Care Trainer Connect program can be used to record incidents.   

(B) On or before December 1 each year, each public agency and nonpublic school shall submit to the department a report on steps taken to encourage positive behavioral interventions, including:  

(1) The professional development provided to designated school personnel related to positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports and trauma-informed interventions for the prior school year;  
(2) For nonpublic schools, the policy changes made to further reduce the use of seclusion incidents during the prior school year; and  
(3) The policy changes or new professional development opportunities designed to further increase positive behavioral interventions and reduce physical restraint or seclusion incidents in the upcoming school year.  

How Safety-Care aligns: Safety-Care is uniquely designed to provide trainees with the skills to assess potential crises, how de-escalate these situations, and how to respond if the situation is elevated. Our trainings are trauma-informed and focus on modifying behavior to prevent dangerous outcomes. Safety-Care can be taught to all levels of school personnel, from administration down to volunteers. Additionally, our core trainings can be supplemented with unique add-on trainings focused on specific needs and professions. Safety-Care uses a Train the Trainer model allowing each district to quickly develop their own core of trainers qualified in the most current behavioral interventions and de-escalation strategies. Our Master Trainers can have up to ten (10) staff ready to train in as little as three days. Safety-Care is geared towards ensuring that all trainees are familiar with a single response system and can respond in-kind to numerous situations regardless of the professional setting.  

(B) Before adopting the training requirements under subsection (A) of this section, the State Superintendent shall identify any gaps in behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports.

(C) The training requirements adopted under subsection (A) of this section shall include positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports that:  

(1) Are evidence-based;  
(2) Include trauma–informed interventions and strategies for de-escalation;  
(3) Remedy any gaps identified under subsection (B) of this section; and  
(4) Are consistent with professionally accepted practices and standards for persons entering the field of education. 

(D)(1) The training requirements adopted under subsection (A) of this section shall be the basis of a program of professional Senate Bill 705 development that the State Superintendent shall share with school employees from public agencies and nonpublic schools.  

(2) The State Superintendent shall issue guidance on best practices in implementing positive behavior intervention plans that are the basis for the professional development program.  

How Safety-Care aligns: Safety-Care training stems from ABA and PBIS and is regularly updated based upon the most current research. Additionally, the training is trauma-informed and designed for all staff to be trained on the same system.