In the Supplemental Education K-12 Finance Omnibus Bill there are two provisions related to students with needs that go beyond what is provided in traditional educational settings. One of these provisions is meant to better support youth struggling with substance abuse by appropriating funding to Approved Recovery Programs, while the other regards the use of physical restraints in schools on students with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Given the number of youth involved in the child welfare system who experience challenges in their academic environment, particularly those with physical, emotional, and/or behavioral disabilities, these provisions could have a direct impact on youth in out-of-home placement, as well as the way child welfare professionals work with school systems. Further examination of these provisions is necessary to determine the extent of their impact for the field of child welfare.
Funding for “Approved Recovery Programs”
An “Approved Recovery Program” is defined as a course of instruction offered by a school that provides academic services while assisting with care and recovery of students struggling with substance abuse or dependency. According to the proposed bill text, a grant of $125,000 would be provided to these programs located throughout Minnesota for the purposes of hiring and paying school staff, chemical abuse counselors, psychologists, social workers and other professionals necessary to help students in recovery succeed.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, substance use is a factor in at least 75% of foster care placements, and the Center for Applied Research Solutions found that 34% of youth in foster care have rates of illegal drug use compared to 22% of youth not in care. Due to the emotional struggles many foster youth face due to a past history of abuse or neglect, mental health challenges, and/or the trauma resulting from multiple placements, one of the most common coping strategies for these youth is self-medication through alcohol or substance use. Furthermore, foster youth who experience multiple placements may also change schools frequently, thereby leading to poor academic performance or alienation from teachers and other students who are doing well. For youth who age out of care when they reach age 18 there is a 50% rate of homelessness due to their inability to secure a stable living environment. This lack of stability in school and home environments has been shown to put adolescents in foster care at even greater risk of abusing illicit drugs, meaning that recovery programs are even more pertinent for these youth.
Providing Information on the Use of Physical Restraints
Under the omnibus bill there are three specific requirements for school districts to follow regarding their use of physical restraints and therapeutic holds with students with emotional or behavioral challenges:
- Currently school districts are required to inform the public about their use of restrictive procedures; this bill would add to this requirement school districts’ plans for training teachers and staff on other de-escalation techniques.
- Beginning February 1st of 2015 professionals must recommend goals to the education commissioner to reduce the use of restrictive procedures in schools and the commissioner must then report back to the legislature.
- Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year districts must begin collecting data regarding district use of reasonable force that is consistent with the current definition of physical holding or seclusion of a child with a disability.
The use of physical restraints on children in public schools and learning/alternative centers has been debated strongly in the field of education. Over the past few years lawsuits have been filed against schools across the country over heavily restrictive physical restraints that have resulted in student injury or death. According to the Child Welfare League of America between 8 and 10 students die every year as a result of physical restraints in academic or behavioral health settings, mostly from asphyxia. There is currently little substantiated evidence supporting negative psychological effects of restraints on children, but opponents argue that the risk for short- and long-term trauma resulting from the use of restrictive procedures is still a valid concern. Other professionals however note that the when it comes to children with special needs who are prone to overly violent outbursts that put themselves, staff, or other students at risk of serious injury, use of some less dangerous and less restrictive procedures or physical restraints must be permitted.
Children who are the most likely to be placed in holds or physical restraints in academic settings are those with mental, emotional, or behavioral challenges who are prone to outbursts. Studies show that nearly 50% of youth in the child welfare system have clinically significant behavioral or emotional problems, and that between 50% and 75% of youth entering foster care exhibited behavioral or social competency concerns that warranted mental health treatment. Considering this as well as the fact that youth involved in child welfare have experienced some form of trauma, the use of physical restraints in the schools is a particularly relevant issue for child welfare practice.
When thinking about Approved Recovery Programs do you believe they have the potential to be effective? What are your thoughts on how substance abuse recovery and the use of restraints could be addressed in schools?