Minimizing Seclusion and Restraint in Youth Residential and Day Treatment Through Site-Wide Implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving

ABSTRACT

Despite a growing understanding of the need to reduce seclusion and restraint (S/R) in all types of youth psychiatric facilities, published accounts of success in the psychological literature have been limited to inpatient facilities. Furthermore, existing publications on successful S/R reduction rarely include details about implementation that would be helpful to other agencies looking to follow their lead. This article presents the case of one multiservice agency that reduced S/R rates in youth residential and day treatment programs after adopting the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach. It includes detailed information on implementation, data illustrating the reduction of S/R after CPS implementation, and discussion of possible benefits to youth outcomes and organizational costs.

KEYWORDS:

• children
• collaborative problem solving
• day treatment
• psychiatric
• residential
• restraint
• seclusion
• youth

Acknowledgments

This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. The authors would like to thank Jim von Stein for his invaluable assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.