Training for prevention of assaultive behavior in a psychiatric setting.

A two-day training workshop for mental health center staff on preventing or dealing with patients' assaultive behavior included a values clarification exercise, a discussion of guidelines for preventing assaultive behavior, and practice of defense and restraining techniques. Fifteen staff members who were judged by peers to be most effective in defusing violent patient behavior participated in a follow-up seminar to identify components of their successful interventions. Those components included keeping calm, being honest, suggesting alternatives to violent behavior, and using positive reinforcement. The author recommends that a center's administrative staff keep policies and procedures related to violent behavior up to date in order to ensure consistency of interventions, and that they participate in a training program as well.