HB 4409 Summary

• Prohibits behavior management rooms, chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, and seclusion in children's therapeutic group homes, replacing previous rules that allowed these practices in certain circumstances.

• Establishes that personal restraint and physical management in children's therapeutic group homes may only be used on an emergency basis when a child or others face imminent risk of serious physical harm and must be used briefly.

• Prohibits prone or supine immobilization and any physical management that restricts a child's respiratory process in children's therapeutic group homes.

• Requires staff to evaluate a child's physical and psychological well-being after restraint use, notify parents/guardians, document the incident, and conduct a debriefing session within 24 hours with discussion of alternative techniques and prevention procedures.

• Mandates training for staff using restraint that is nationally recognized, trauma-informed, emphasizes de-escalation and crisis prevention, and prohibits pain compliance techniques; training must be appropriate for the ages and sizes of children served.