At Children's, we take any allegation of misconduct or abuse very seriously. In the event of an allegation we work closely with the patient, their family and our staff to investigate, notify appropriate authorities and take actions to correct any problems.

To protect the privacy of our patients we do not release details about patient care without their consent. Patient safety is at the core of our hospital's mission and we continually strive to improve on all aspects of patient care.

There are unique challenges and patient safety concerns to treating children with mental health problems. When an adolescent is hospitalized, it is often because their behavior is out of their control. The therapeutic approach is not to treat such youth as criminals, and we work hard at finding the safe and appropriate balance between promoting individual responsibility and ensuring the safety of patients and staff.

We continuously implement and enhance safety procedures in our inpatient psychiatry unit. The following is a list of some of the safety and security measures currently in place in the unit:

When a patient is first brought into the unit staff members conduct a strict evaluation and assess the patient's risk level. The patient is then monitored according to their evaluated risk level.

We rely on staff to supervise patients. Cameras are used as an adjunct during the night to ensure that patients are not leaving their room unsupervised and at times when staff choose to monitor behavior from a distance. The cameras are not in private areas such as patient rooms or bathrooms.

We have an alarm system in the unit that is activated at night after patients have gone to bed. When a patient leaves their room the alarm is triggered. The alarm system is not used during the day as patients and staff members are moving in and out of patient rooms and public areas throughout the course of the day.

During the day, a patient evaluated with a higher risk level is more closely monitored by staff in public areas and going in and out of private areas. If a patient has a lower evaluated risk level they are still monitored but with less oversight. If a patient's risk level changes to a higher level during the course of hospitalization, staff members provide more monitoring for the patient from the time of the re-assessment.

We follow written policies and procedures for supervising patients who exhibit physically and sexually aggressive behaviors. We apply these policies and procedures to patients once they have exhibited those behaviors.

In addition to training necessary to meet licensing standards, staff members also undergo on-going patient safety training.