Child Safeguarding Policy and Mental Health Protocol

AIS-R supports child advocacy rights and protection. All reports of maltreatment will be taken seriously and investigated. When a claim is made by a child, that claim is followed-up upon either by the adult/teacher who was witness to the claim and/or the Principals, Counselor. Pending the outcome of that conversation, an Incident Report may be filed and AIS-R's Child Safeguarding process initiated. The outcome of the conversation may also result in a parent phone call and/or meeting w/out an Incident Report filed and an email sent to the parents with all respective constituents CC'ed to include the MS Office, MS Leadership, Counselor, and Advisory teacher. Documentation is required whether an Incident Report is filed or not. 

Maltreatment is defined as physical, sexual, and verbal abuse or neglect. Local authorities and/or parent employers/sponsors will be notified if maltreatment is verified. Please be a responsible citizen and notify the school principal if you are aware of a child being mistreated. Early counseling, guidance, and intervention can stop child maltreatment. AIS-R has a child safeguarding policy that is strictly enforced. 

The MS Curriculum includes the following lessons: 

Personal Safety: Students will learn about safety and ways to help them decide when something is safe and when something is not safe such as never play with fire; never use a sharp tool; never touch a gun; never touch a dog without asking the person in charge; never cross the street without checking for all ways of traffic; never go in the water without an older person watching; never ride in a car without wearing a seatbelt; and never ride on wheels without wearing a helmet. 

Touching Safety: Students will learn about safe, unsafe and unwanted touches and rules about touching private body parts. They’ll also learn about ways to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches and to tell an adult if someone breaks rules about touching private body parts.  

Assertiveness: Students will learn and practice how to ask an adult for help, tell an adult about an unsafe situation and be assertive to get out of an unsafe situation.   

For further details regarding our child safeguarding policy and/or our child safeguarding education, please visit our Child Safeguarding eHandbook. 

When a child demonstrates a mental health concern (i.e. depression, psychosis, dissociation, suicide ideation, self-harm) or there is reasonable cause to believe that a child is in danger of themselves or others, the concerned adult/student will seek advice from the teacher/counselor/administration. Any report or other action must be kept confidential. In all cases, follow-up is conducted in a manner that ensures that information is documented factually and that strict confidentiality is maintained. The following procedure will be enacted by the counselor and/or administration:

1. Ensure student of concern is safe (may require one-to-one adult supervision)

2. Interview adults/students as necessary and document relevant information

3. Consult with school personnel to review the child’s history in school

4. Report status of case to superintendent

5. Depending on the level of concern as determined in collaboration with the counselor, principal, & superintendent, a required Educational Psychological Evaluation may be requested at any time to ensure the safety and well being of all students. The requested Educational Psychological Evaluation may determine re-entry to AIS-R.