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March 8, 2024Creating Safe Environments in an Open Space
The reality of mental health is this – it’s complex. It’s emotional, spiritual, psychological, and often physical. And yet while our treatment plans are ever-evolving, ever-changing based on a patient’s needs, there is one element that will always be fundamental to the success of both our patients and our team. And that’s a safe and nurturing environment. At Shodair, we’ve seen a lot of change since the transition into our new building. And through it all, acting as both the backbone of our facility and frontlines of community interaction, is a 24/7 security team that emphasizes relationship as much as they do protocol.
“The addition of a full-time security department at Shodair has been critical to the growth of our campus,” said Craig Aasved, Shodair CEO. “Not only is it increasing the safety of our physical location, but it is also enhancing the safety of our services, providing important reassurance and support to our staff, and contributing to a healthier neighborhood community, overall. We are really proud to be changing the face of what a security team can (and should) look like in a mental health setting.”
Comprised of nine officers, Shodair’s security department is tasked with providing safety for Shodair’s growing campus – spanning across five buildings and 28 acres. And while many security departments fall under a more tactical approach, creating a secure environment across a space intentionally designed to foster openness (not seclusion), requires an entirely new playbook. One that takes as much heart as it does tact. In addition to routine training like security management, emergency response, and maintenance protocol, each of Shodair’s security officers follow the Sanctuary Model of care and undergo the same training as a mental health technician – ensuring that they are trauma-informed, educated in behavioral health, and comfortable in utilizing therapeutic communication skills.
“Restraint is the last resort,” said Vance Gehringer, Director of Facilities & Security at Shodair. “Our security guards don’t carry any protective gear because our security policy is ‘hands-on’ last. For us, verbal de-escalation is the way forward – whether that’s one of our guys interacting directly with a patient or helping to provide that same space and avenue for clinical staff to have those conversations. Despite the situation, our aim is to support through safety, not take over.”
And this commitment to non-violence is already having a huge impact. Whether it’s a child who feels comfortable letting a security guard know about a case of self-harm or an individual who feels seen and heard when an officer intercedes with their family on their behalf, Shodair patients are growing stronger each and every day not just by the treatment they’re receiving, but by the supportive and safe environment they’re receiving it in.
“You never know what’s going to work – that’s why we’ll have a conversation for six hours if we have to,” explained Gehringer. “What’s important is creating a safe environment where patients feel comfortable and like you have their back.”
And they’re not the only ones.
While 40% of a security officer’s time is dedicated to routine checks and maintenance (think patrolling grounds, checking alarm systems, watching security cameras), 60% of their time is devoted toward directly supporting clinical staff and the community – which includes everything from relieving a mental health tech, escorting visitors throughout the building, greeting residents as they pass by the campus, and even walking staff out to their vehicles late at night. From our patients and staff members to neighborhood residents and first responders, Shodair’s security department isn’t just providing a safer environment, they’re providing an open one. And in a children’s mental health setting like Shodair, sometimes it’s this safety net of hope – a place where vulnerability is encouraged and security is assured – that can make the greatest difference of all.
