Establish an emergency plan

Support staff and families need to have an agreed emergency plan or crisis intervention plan in place that states what to do and who to call when a situation becomes unsafe. The plan should be developed with a behaviour support team or a psychologist with experience in positive behaviour support. Family members and support staff will typically require training in the use of the plan. For those with an NDIS plan, specific funding can be included to support the training of family members and support staff.

The emergency plan should include de-escalation strategies and ensure that restrictive practices (ie physical or mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, or seclusion) are only used in the context of the least restrictive alternative and to protect the person or others from harm.

See also Acute behavioural disturbance.