Oglala Lakota College Head Start/Early Head Start Program

POLICY AND PROCEDURES

TITLE: Violent Behavior Emergency Policy

PURPOSE

To prevent violent acts and to minimize the impact of any violent acts on the children

POLICY

The OLC HS/EHS staff will protect the children and staff from violent acts, and minimize the impact on the children and staff due to any violent acts that may occur. Violence at our Head Start and Early Head Start Centers will not be tolerated.

PROCEDURE

a.In the event that a visitor, staff member or parent becomes violent, the staff member will take charge of the situation.

b.The staff member will attempt to calm the person and move them away from the children (do not take them into the office if this is the location of the only phone in the Center).

c.If there are other staff members around, they will quietly and calmly move children away from the area of the confrontation.

d.If possible, the staff member will direct another staff member to take the children outside to the playground.

e.If violence appears imminent or has happened, the staff member will direct the Bus Driver or other available staff, to close the office door. This is the signal to call for law enforcement assistance. The staff member will remain in the office with the door closed and notify the Admin staff once the police have been notified.

  1. The Bus Driver or other available staff will leave the building to get additional help to the Center. The Bus Driver or other available will return to the Center and be ready to assist the staff member if necessary.
  1. An Emergency and Evacuation Report will be completed once the emergency has concluded.

Lock Down

Violence in the Community/ Center

  1. The violence in the community/center is primarily aimed at situations where there is an incident involving an attack from armed intruders in the center or near area that threatens the safety of students or staff.

In the event that it is unsafe to evacuate the building, the following will take place:

  1. The teacher will pick up the attendance roster and cell phone (if available) as he/she leads the children to a pre-designated spot within the center.
  1. The bus driver(s) will check the restroom(s), classroom and hallway (if possible) for any children or staff left behind.
  1. The bus driver(s) will secure all doors and windows and turn off the lights.
  1. The teacher will ensure that all children are present using the attendance roster.
  1. The teacher and/or center staff will begin to construct a blast wall (fort) for better protection and to keep the children out of sight.
  1. Staff and children will remain in their current location until instructed otherwise by the Director/ Site Supervisor or until it is no longer safe to stay.
  1. Do not allow anyone into or out of the classroom until the director or facility designated staff gives the “all clear” or order to evacuate.
  1. Follow established evacuation procedures if indicated.
  1. When the danger has passed, await instructions from the Director/ Site Supervisor to either continue class or to call parents/emergency contact persons for child pick-up.
  1. Staff should practice the lockdown drill procedures once a year. Staff should post the Disaster and Evacuation Log and fill it out at the time of the lockdown drill.

Dealing with aggressive parents

  1. Head Start encourages close links with parents and the community. We believe that students benefit when the relationship between home and school is a positive one.
  1. The vast majority of parents, guardians and others visiting the Head Start are keen to work with us and are supportive of the program. However, a tiny minority of parents have a negative attitude towards the school and sometimes, this can result in aggression, verbal and/or physical abuse towards Head Start staff.
  1. The Head Start Program expects its staff to conduct themselves professionally in these difficult situations and attempt to defuse the situation where possible, seeking the involvement as appropriate of other colleagues. However, all staff have the right to work without fear of violence and abuse and the right, in extreme cases, of appropriate self-defense.
  1. The Head Start Program expects parents and other visitors to behave in a reasonable way towards the staff. This policy outlines the steps that will be taken where parents’ behavior is unacceptable.

Types of behavior that are considered serious and inappropriate

and will not be tolerated:

  1. This is not an exhaustive list but seeks to provide illustrations of unacceptable behavior.
  1. Shouting at the program staff, either in person or over the telephone.
  2. Physically intimidating a member of staff eg. Standing very close to him/her
  3. The use of aggressive hand gestures
  4. Threatening program staff
  5. Shaking or holding a fist towards another person
  6. Writing abusive comments about a member of staff
  7. Swearing at a program staff member
  8. Pushing
  9. Hitting
  10. Spitting
  11. Racist or Sexist comments
  12. Breaking the program’s security procedures (refer to above procedures)

Procedure

  1. When a parent or member of the public behaves in an inappropriate way towards a Head Start member, staff will seek to resolve the situation through discussion and mediation.
  1. If necessary, staff will contact Admin to inform them of the situation.
  1. Where all procedures have been exhausted, and aggression or intimidation continues,or where there is an extreme act of violencethe above procedures will be followed and the police will be called.
  1. Staff will need to fill out an Incident Report to document the events that occurred and fax it up to the Admin office for review.

DOCUMENTATION

Emergency and Evacuation Report

Disaster and Evacuation Log

Incident Report

REGULATORY REFERENCE(S):

Head Start Performance Standards 1304.22(a)(3)

Environmental Health Standards 4-116.20

Adapted from Model Tribal Head Start Health and Safety Code-Indian Health Service/Office of Environmental Health Revised: 03/19/12

PC Approval: 06/11/09

BOT Approval: 06/23/09