Seclusion and Restraint Policy
An institutional document governing the conditions, authorisation, monitoring, and documentation requirements for the use of seclusion or physical restraint in psychiatric settings.
Full Definition
A Seclusion and Restraint Policy (S&R Policy) establishes the clinical, legal, and ethical framework within which a psychiatric facility may employ seclusion or physical restraints as a last-resort intervention. The policy must comply with The Joint Commission standards, CMS Conditions of Participation, and applicable state law, and must specify physician order requirements, time limits, monitoring intervals, and debriefing procedures. Editors working on such policies must apply precise, legally defensible language and ensure that 'seclusion' and 'restraint' are never used interchangeably, as they carry distinct regulatory meanings. Documentation errors in S&R records are a frequent source of regulatory citations.
Usage
Usage note: Always hyphenate as 'seclusion-and-restraint' when used as a compound modifier. 'Seclusion' and 'restraint' must not be used synonymously; each has a distinct regulatory definition.
In Context
- "The revised seclusion and restraint policy was distributed to all clinical staff following the annual regulatory review." — Policy memo
- "Surveyors cited the facility for incomplete seclusion-and-restraint documentation during the unannounced CMS inspection." — Regulatory inspection report