S.O.L.V.E.

Program Description:

Strategies of Limiting Violent Episodes (SOLVE) teaches staff various methods to prevent aggression from occurring through verbal and environmental options or to control aggression safely through physical options within a treatment context. Team activities such as communication, decision-making, and processing are essential elements of the course. In addition, the course provides system elements necessary for treating aggressive clients. These elements include preparation, prevention, intervention, release, documentation, processing and monitoring.

Purpose:

1. To teach staff who work with aggressive clients verbal, physical and organizational skills that will enable treatment strategies an increased likelihood of succeeding. These skills emphasize prevention and range from least to most restrictive. Avoiding injury to clients and staff is of paramount importance.

2. To provide a system of documentation and monitoring that will enhance quality improvement.

Program Objectives:

1. To teach staff persons numerous safe and non-painful physical options to prevent or control client aggression.

2. To provide staff persons with a cognitive system for use in assessing and evaluating the effects of their efforts in controlling aggressive clients.

3. To provide staff persons with adaptive affective options to enhance therapeutic client interaction.

Training Sequence:

- 20 hours for Participants

- 40 hours for Trainers

- Preventive Stragegies is an 8 hour curriculum which emphasizes verbal strategies and basic physical options

The recommended sequence is to complete a 20 hour class for the interested parties and then selected Participants complete a 40 hour Trainers class. The Trainers class will allow the agency to have in-house professionals with the ability to train, consequently being more cost effective.

The co-developers of the curriculum are J. Leonard Peebles, Ph.D. and David Diamond, M.A. of SOLVE, Inc. a Massachusetts based company. Len has been a consultant for ISN since 1990. In new Hampshire the two individuals at the Instructor level are Gus Moral and Bill Stumpf. Bill and Gus have worked extensively with the curriculum for over 15 years.

For more information: SOLVE@isnnh.com