Safety-Care® Glossary of Key Terms

A method of understanding the context of a behavior in terms of this sequence: antecedent ⇒ behavior ⇒ consequence.

Any of several training packages that can be used to supplement the skills of a specialist or trainer who is already certified in the core curriculum.

Whatever happens before the behavior we are interested in.

A scientific approach that examines how behavior is influenced by the environment. ABA procedures guide the prevention-first, reinforcement-based strategies embedded throughout the Safety-Care curriculum.

The professional code guiding behavior analysts. Safety-Care was developed by BCBAs and aligns with expectations for safe, ethical behavior support.

What the person does that we are interested in. Safety-Care generally focuses on behaviors that are observable and measurable.

A written plan designed by a multidisciplinary team that includes procedures designed to support desirable changes in the individual’s behavior. Also called a behavior plan, positive behavior support plan, behavior intervention plan, or behavior treatment plan.

When staff or others inadvertently reinforce challenging behavior because, in the short run, it gets the behavior to stop. In the long run, the challenging behavior tends to increase.

A strategy that uses high-probability requests or quick, simple tasks to build momentum toward cooperation. Presented in Safety-Care as part of reinforcement-based de-escalation.

Quality and operational standards used by ABA and behavioral-health organizations. Safety-Care supports alignment with training and safety expectations.

A technique used to safely release or reduce injury from a bite without reinforcing the behavior.

The area near a person’s mouth where a bite can happen most quickly and easily.

Internationally recognized standards that evaluate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of health and human-services organizations. Safety-Care helps organizations meet CARF expectations related to crisis prevention, staff competency, dignity-centered care, and safe physical intervention practices.

Clear, pre-planned steps for requesting support during escalating situations to ensure coordinated, safe team responses.

The process by which a trainer (if training specialists) or a master trainer (if training trainers or specialists) confirms that a trainee in a Safety-Care class has participated in and met the requirements for that class.

A behavior that is dangerous or that interferes with learning and functioning. Divided into disruptive, dangerous, and very dangerous behaviors, depending on severity.

See Medication Restraint.

Procedures for safely disengaging from a choke hold in emergency circumstances. Front choke release is taught in the Safety-Care initial training, while rear choke release is taught in Safety-Care Advanced Skills Module.

A hand held with the fingers together and the thumb against the side of the hand. Used in many physical techniques to prevent grabbing and reduce injury. Compare to grasp.

Federal expectations for patient rights, crisis response, and safe use of interventions in healthcare settings.

Attempting to persuade someone to do something using threats or force.

A specified skill that trainees must learn and demonstrate with errorless teaching, role-plays, and written assessments.

Whatever happens after the behavior we are interested in.

The standard curriculum for preventing, minimizing, and managing behavioral crises.

A situation in which dangerous or very dangerous behaviors occur or are judged imminently likely to occur.

A challenging behavior that has the potential to cause harm to the individual or someone else.

A post-incident process that supports recovery, identifies what worked, and guides preventive strategies for future incidents.

Helping an agitated individual become calmer. Includes strategies such as Help, Prompt, and Wait.

A behavior we wish to encourage.

Providing reinforcement for desired behavior while withholding reinforcement from unsafe or challenging behavior. A core evidence-based strategy emphasized throughout behavioral safety practice.

A challenging behavior that interferes with learning and functioning but does not cause direct harm.

A non-intrusive, preventative method for improving safety when working in close proximity to an individual.

A teaching approach that ensures the learner performs the desired behavior correctly the first time, with support gradually reduced as independence develops.

A period of increased frequency or intensity of challenging behavior that may lead to a crisis.

A temporary increase in the frequency or intensity of a behavior after reinforcement for that behavior is withheld.

The ability to perform skills accurately and reliably under real-world conditions. Built through repeated practice and performance feedback.

Teaching or prompting more effective communication behaviors that replace unsafe or challenging behaviors.

The ability to perform a learned skill correctly in the intended real-world context once training is completed.

To hold gently using fingers and thumb. Compare to closed hand. If a trainee cannot use the thumb due to medical or anatomical differences but can still hold safely, that is acceptable.

Safe, least-restrictive methods for releasing from a hair pull while protecting both the individual and staff.

Federal standards guiding least-restrictive, person-centered support in community-based services.

The process of recording crisis behaviors, events, triggers, interventions, and outcomes to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Techniques that reduce the likelihood that escalation will continue, such as anticipating triggers, adjusting demands, and using reinforcement wisely.

Upstream strategies that reduce behavioral risk before escalation occurs, such as clear expectations, supportive environments, and proactive reinforcement.

A desirable behavior that cannot readily be performed at the same time as a specified challenging behavior.

An internationally recognized healthcare accreditor that evaluates organizational quality, safety, and effectiveness.

An intervention that uses the most positive, least coercive approach that is still safe and effective.

The ability to continue performing a learned skill correctly after training is completed.

Strategies for addressing situations where an individual may access or attempt to use objects unsafely, emphasizing hazard reduction and safe positioning.

A person certified by QBS LLC to teach and certify trainers and specialists.

The use of a mechanical device to suppress challenging behavior, with specific definitions varying by regulation.

Administration of psychotropic medication to suppress challenging behavior. Exact regulatory definitions vary.

A group of professionals, the individual, guardians, and other stakeholders who collaborate to develop and revise support plans.

An emergency stability hold used only when an individual has a dangerous object and immediate safety is required.

The organization associated with a trainer’s certification record in QBS systems.

Manual holding procedures used to manage dangerous behavior. Typically considered highly restrictive.

Manual holding used to suppress challenging behavior. Specific definitions vary by regulation.

Procedures designed to contain aggressive behavior in a less restrictive manner than physical management.

A framework promoting proactive, preventive supports across settings. Emphasizes early recognition and reinforcement-based prevention.

An attempt to use coercion to prevent or suppress challenging behavior. Generally avoided due to escalation risks.

A principle focused on recognizing early signs of escalation and using supportive, reinforcement-based strategies before a crisis occurs.

Long-term mental or emotional harm caused by one or more overwhelmingly distressing events.

The company that develops, trains, and oversees Safety-Care. Its mission is to provide quality behavioral solutions to complex behavior challenges.

The process in which a trainer or master trainer verifies that previously certified staff can still perform required skills.

The period after a crisis during which a person may still show signs of agitation. Recovery may last minutes, hours, or days.

A consequence that strengthens the behavior it follows.

The ability to adapt quickly and effectively to stress or difficulty.

Any intrusive method of suppressing a person’s ability to engage in challenging behavior through physical, mechanical, or medication restraint.

A limitation on which competencies a trainee is authorized to demonstrate or use.

Everyday practices—such as maintaining personal space and situational awareness—that help keep staff and individuals safe.

A person tasked with monitoring the safety of a physical intervention without participating unless necessary.

A written plan that outlines how staff will maintain the safety of an individual and those around them during challenging behavior.

Safe positioning and movement strategies that maintain distance, reduce risk, and support de-escalation.

Requiring a person to remain in a specific room or area involuntarily, using physical blocking or locked doors. Definitions vary by regulation.

A temporary method for protecting oneself or another person from aggressive behavior.

A behavioral antecedent that reliably predicts dangerous behavior.

A person who has completed training and been certified. A specialist may not teach any part of the curriculum.

A physical management procedure in which the individual is partially or fully immobilized using manual holding techniques.

Procedures used to safely remove grabs to clothing without escalating behavior.

Creating physical and social conditions that reduce stress, promote predictability, and support positive behavior.

A low-intrusive physical support used during increased risk to guide movement safely without holding or restraining.

A person who has completed trainer-level instruction and is certified to teach and certify specialists.

A method for safely moving from one physical management procedure to another.

A physical management procedure in which an individual is moved from one location to another.

An environmental antecedent that reliably predicts dangerous behavior.

A challenging behavior that has a high likelihood of causing serious harm to self or others.

A physical safety skill used to safely disengage from a wrist grab without pain compliance.