Corrections_Today_September_October_2020_Vol.82_No.5

nEWS & vIEWS

culturally knowledgeable, will enhance safety; –– Developing positive rela- tionships between staff and residents enhances safety; –– Behavior presenting risk of harm to the physical and emo- tional safety of individuals in care, as well as their service providers can be minimized and/or prevented when re- sponded to with humane and relationship enhancing methods; –– Service organizations must actively pursue the reduction of the use of restrictive inter- ventions through a variety of training and skill development programs that focus on aware- ness, early intervention and de-escalation skills/techniques; –– When restrictive interventions are employed, they should only be used to prevent an imminent risk of injury to someone and be discontinued when that risk is diminished, and safety is established; –– When restrictive interventions are necessary, they should be done in the least restrictive manner possible that can ad- dress the presenting dangerous behavior; –– When restrictive interventions are necessary, data and debrief- ing regarding these incidents need the inclusion of restorative practices and focus on prevent- ing their reoccurrence; –– Service organizations are obli- gated to ensure that their staff possess competence in preven- tion and intervention techniques to address behavior that is

dangerous, violent and/or caus- ing harm to self or others; –– Service organizations must provide staff training and super- vision that meets all required legal, ethical and regulatory standards and is youth ori- ented in its development and application; –– Service organizations must provide on-going and recurring training to ensure staff safety and competence that includes de-briefing for growth, learning and maintaining wellness. It is critical that code of prac- tice standards be fully developed and implemented to govern and guide juvenile justice agencies in the development of policies, proce- dures, and training programs. These standards must be applied to the full spectrum of care from education and community-based programs to secure and non-secure residential facilities. It is incumbent upon the juvenile justice providers to develop crisis intervention strategies that reflect the standards outlined in this code of practice. These actions will allow youth and staff to remain safe when threatened or at-risk for serious harm. Ultimately, operationalizing these code of practice standards will allow programs to continue provid- ing effective therapeutic services while ensuring the safety of staff and the youth they serve.

Mark Your Calendars! Join us for future ACA Winter Conferences and Congresses of Correction! 2021 Winter Conference Long Beach, California Feb. 4–9, 2021 151 st Congress of Correction Nashville Aug. 12–17, 2021 2022 Winter Conference Phoenix Jan. 6–11, 2022 152 nd Congress of Correction New Orleans Aug. 4–9, 2022

Michael Dempsey is the executive director of the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators.

16 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today