Decreasing restraint and seclusion in a midwest district: Best practices to support students in crisis.

This article focuses on a study evaluating the impact of implementing training, systematic documentation, and peer review procedures aligned with federal recommendations on reducing the use of restraint and seclusion (R&S) in a public school district in Michigan. The intervention, based on the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCI-S) system, was introduced in phases across elementary, middle, and high schools, accompanied by monthly data monitoring and feedback. Results showed a decrease in R&S incidents following full implementation and maintenance of lower rates over an additional year, despite limitations such as the absence of a control group and the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the importance of trauma-informed, equity-focused training and continuous monitoring to reduce R&S use, particularly given the disproportionate impact on students with disabilities and students of color, and recommends broader adoption of such comprehensive approaches in school districts.