Robert Lee Sutherland Seminar XIII

Safe and Appropriate Behavioral Interventions: Changing Our Culture of Care

The Hogg Foundation convened a two-day conference in Austin in December 2004 on the increasingly controversial use of seclusion and restraint to manage the behavior of people in residential treatment facilities, schools, psychiatric hospitals and criminal and juvenile justice agencies. "Safe and Appropriate Behavioral Interventions: Changing the Culture of Care" led to the foundation's ongoing initiative to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint in Texas.

The conference featured presentations by experts who addressed ways in which Texas agencies could encourage safe and appropriate alternatives to the use of seclusion and restraint. Speakers included Lloyd Bullard, Child Welfare League of America; Dr. Joel Dvoskin, Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona and consultant and trainer on violence prevention; Aaryce Hayes, program specialist at Advocacy Inc.; Representative Elliott Naishtat, Texas House of Representatives; and Laura Prescott, Sister Witness International.

Direct care providers, administrators, policymakers, advocates and consumers also participated in six task groups to develop practical guidelines for frontline providers and a framework to help decision makers promote agency culture change regarding behavioral interventions.

After the conference, the Hogg Foundation produced a publication and CD. Particularly noteworthy are the restraint scenarios and teaching questions provided in the publication and CD, which used jointly make an invaluable training tool. Eight scenarios with accompanying teaching questions are included in the publication. Seven of the eight scenarios are included on the CD as video clips.

Conference Presentations and Materials

Agenda
Publication: Safe and Appropriate Behavioral Interventions: Changing Our Culture of Care
Presentation CD
Individual videos: