An Exploration of the Fundamental Issues that arise with the use of Restrictive Practices within Human Services.
Restrictive practices are all too commonly used as a strategy for containing many marginalised groups
such as people with disability, the elderly and people with mental health issues. What is often not
explored is the culture and environments that exist within human services that has led to the expectation
that many people will need some sort of restraint to maintain their day to day lives. This will be highly
relevant to anyone involved in the use of restrictive practices within human services and is wanting to gain
a deeper understanding of the implications that these practices have on the people they serve.
Topics explored on the day include:
• What are the different types of restrictive practices?
• Common risks and dangers associated with these
• Misconceptions of the use of restrictive practices
• The personal and social costs associated
• Proposed guidelines for how to approach the issue of restraint use
The day will consist of a series of talks on specific topics building on each other with time for
comment and discussion. It is not a how-to but a chance to have a more complete understanding
of the issue allowing for a better and more complete response.
MEET DR MARC TUMEINSKI
Marc has evaluated a variety of human service programs in North America. He has given workshops
and spoken at conferences on issues of violence in services, as well as the use of restrictive practices
such as restraint, in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. He has consulted
to a group of family members and human service workers in Ontario (Canada) who are working to bring
about an end to the use of, and training in, restraints by human services in that province.
