The family, client, and involved staff should undergo a debriefing after each restraint or seclusion incident, within 24 hours. The circumstances leading to the restraint or seclusion and a discussion of why alternatives to restraint or seclusion failed should be documented in the clinical record. Future suggested interventions should be discussed at these debriefings. Following each use of restraint and seclusion, the patient should receive counseling specific to the incident. Treating professionals must adhere to the patient s advance directive, if there is one.
Medication is typically important for the treatment of the symptoms of mental illness.
No staff member should be involved in seclusion or restraint before completing the required training. If children and adolescents are to be secluded, the order must be by a physician or a licensed independent mental health practitioner competent in these procedures and recognized by state law. Video monitoring, if used by itself, is not sufficient. Mechanical restraint should be generally avoided and used only in rare circumstances to protect the child or adolescent from self-harm and harm to others in emergency situations. Brief physical holding should only be carried out by professionally recognized and trained mental health professionals licensed by a governmental body.