Raodmap to Seclusion Manual_Module 5.indd - Samhsa ...

Roadmap to Seclusion and Restraint Free Mental Health Services
Laurie Curtis, a co-author of a curriculum on managing confl ict in mental health systems,
points out, “Most mental health professionals support consumer choice, as long as everyone
agrees” (Blanch, 2000). She emphasizes that confl ict management can help mental health
professionals and consumers understand concepts such as consumer directed services in
new ways.
Judi Higgenbotham, Human Rights Coordinator at Arizona State Hospital in Phoenix, states,
“It almost always boils down to a communication issue—the doctor or treatment team either
hasn’t listened to what the consumer is saying or hasn’t explained things well”(Blanch, 2000).
The Center for Confl ict Management in Mental Health believes that alternative confl ict resolution
strategies can minimize the need for and the consequences of adversarial techniques.
This preserves dignity, enhances empowerment, and promotes recovery.
Mediation is a process where parties distance themselves from their positions and discover
the underlying reason or interest in their positions. It is a process for people to discover their
own solutions. Mediation promotes dialogue.
Consumers and family members have been trained as mediators in some States. Ohio has
taken the lead. It has revised its consumers’ rights regulations to include mediation at any
stage. An Associate Professor of Nursing and Psychiatry at the Ohio State University notes,
“This is the beginning of a cultural change in the mental health fi eld. Confl ict resolution is so
compatible with the recovery movement—they mesh together completely. Consumers learn
to speak for themselves and have control over their lives” (Blanch, 2000). Mediation fosters a
less confrontational atmosphere.
Technical Assistance Centers
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health
Services supports technical assistance centers and the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research. Services may include technical assistance, information and referrals,
on-site consultation, training, library services, publications, annotated bibliographies, and
other resources. Many services are available free of charge, but in some cases, charges may
apply. The technical assistance centers can be used as a resource for up-to-date information
relating to the elimination of seclusion and restraint.
Module 5 Strategies to Prevent Seclusion and Restraint
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BACKGROUND