Dialogue to Eliminate the Use of Restraint/Seclusion
In the summer of 2007 a wonderful and interesting thing happened: Mental health administrators and people with mental health conditions participated in our first ever mediated dialogue facilitated by the Public Conversation Project. The Public Conversation Project helps two, sometimes diametrically opposed groups (i.e. pro-choice and pro-life) come together and hear one another in a respectful and constructive way. After a year of sometimes difficult planning we did just that. Relations between peer advocates and DMH Administrators can be fraught with conflict, high emotions and frustration on both sides, especially on a topic like restraints/seclusion. People in recovery can feel devalued and tokenized and administrators can feel demonized or misunderstood. This dynamic can make it difficult for us to work constructively together. In the summer of 2008 14 people, most of whom were on the statewide DMH Restraint/Seclusion Reduction Advisory Committee, participated in the dialogues.