NY: Elmira Psychiatric Center Tops Children's Psychiatric Restraint List

February 15, 2010

By Jennifer Searcy

Founder/Director of Public Policy & Affairs

The Coalition for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

http://tcfpbis.blogspot.com

James T. Mulder of the Post-Standard reported today the restraint and seclusion rates for New York's children's psychiatric treatment centers. Elmira Psychiatric Center tops the list as having the most restraints in psychiatric hospitals in the state.

"Triggers" of restraint were reported as "children fighting over a toy" or "a child attacking another patient or staff member" - and that restraints were used as a "last resort."

The rates, based upon the rate of patient hours in restraint per 1,000 inpatient hours (i.e. a rate of .33 would equal approximately 4 1/2 hours), were obtained from the New York Office for Mental Health.

The list is as follows:

• Elmira Psychiatric Center, .35
• Hutchings Psychiatric Center, .33
• St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, .33
• Greater Binghamton Health Center, .32
• Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center, .29
• Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center, .20
• Brooklyn Children’s Psychiatric Center, .18
• Rochester Psychiatric Center, .17
• Western New York Children’s Psychiatric Center, .16
• Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center, .13
• Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center, .09
• South Beach Psychiatric Center, .03
• Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center, .02

To read the full article, please click the following link: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/hutchings_restrains_young_pati.html