Noble Hospital Fowler Unit receives
Distinguished Service Award from
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
Westfield - In 2007 the staff from the Fowler Unit at Noble Hospital were presented with a Distinguished Service Award by Elizabeth Childs, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.
According to the award announcement from Childs, "The Fowler Unit was selected for its full commitment to the Department of Mental Health Restraint and Seclusion Elimination Initiative. The innovation shown in preventing restraint, such as computer screen-savers and the attention to the prevalence of trauma in the lives of patients, has helped change the culture of care among staff and a multidisciplinary leadership team, a truly impressive achievement."
A restraint and seclusion safety management tool developed by the Fowler team was so well received by the Department of Mental Health that the state agency included the tool in their training manual submission to the federal government.
The Fowler staff has historically taken an innovative and collaborative approach toward de-escalation techniques with patients, according to Nina Slovik, Director of Psychiatry at Noble Hospital. A questionnaire has been developed to engage patients in assessing their own behaviors and involve them in managing their agitation. The occupational therapy program also approaches the needs of patients from a collaborative standpoint, incorporating a sensory approach toward managing patients' aggressive behaviors.
The Fowler staff is now in the midst of establishing a volunteer program where former Fowler patients will become trained in a variety or programs on the unit.
