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Providers tell committee restraint can be avoided with investment in trauma‑informed, relationship‑based care
Summary
Two Vermont providers — Howard Center’s Park Street program and independent school Connected Circles — told the committee they have largely eliminated seclusion and greatly reduced physical restraint by investing in trauma‑informed models, staff training, small caseloads and strong partnerships with DCF and schools.
Two presenters who run intensive residential or therapeutic‑education programs told the House Human Services Committee that seclusion and physical restraint rates fall when programs prioritize relationship‑based practices, sustained staff training and trauma‑informed interventions.
Shelley McGinnis, program director for Park Street (Howard Center), described a multi‑decade effort to move from a program that once used physical intervention to a largely hands‑off model. "We decided to make a shift to move to being a hands off program," McGinnis said, describing long‑term investments in staff training, in‑house trainers, daily debriefing, collaborative problem solving, ARC (Attachment, Regulation, and Competency), SMART sensory‑motor work and regulation spaces rather than seclusion rooms.
Why it matters: Committee members are considering H.30, a bill related to seclusion and restraint of children…
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