Contraband as it relates to Behavioral Health
February 1 2024
Contraband refers to any item or substance that is prohibited within a specific environment, such as behavioral health facilities and detention centers. These forbidden items can vary widely, but typically include drugs, weapons, alcohol, and other potentially harmful or disruptive materials. Within the behavioral health environment, contraband poses a significant challenge because patients struggling with mental health issues, are extremely vulnerable to the negative effects of illicit substances. Further patients may be highly motivated to obtain contraband, and may be highly motivated to obtain, or even create contaband from very common items. If this were to occur, it creates a very dangerous situation for both patients and staff.
Strategies for Preventing Contraband within behavioural health facilites tend to be extensive because the critical importance, and the challenge presented by innovative patients not willing to comply with such protocols. At SecuringHospitals.com, we strive to provide the best products possible to help enable facility staff to minimize the presence of any contraband While patient rooms serve as essential spaces for healing and recovery, within these rooms seemingly innocuous items can become contraband when misused. Common room contents including clothing, bedding, toiletries, small personal effects, and particularly, room fixtures, can potentially be transformed into contraband.
Examples of common items that can be transformed into contraband include:
Personal Effects:
Jewelry: Earrings, necklaces, or bracelets can be disassembled to create sharp objects.Eyeglasses: The frames or lenses can be broken and used as weapons.Writing Instruments: Pens, pencils, or markers can be used for self-harm.Nail Clippers: Sharp edges can be dangerous if patients use them to harm themselves.
Small Electronics:
Chargers and Cords: These can be fashioned into ligatures.Headphones or Earbuds: The cords can pose a strangulation risk.Batteries: Patients might swallow batteries or use them for self-harm.For the following high risk items, SecuringHospitals.com offers alternative products which greatly the risk of self-harm and harm to others via contraband:
Bedding and Linens:
Sheets and Pillowcases: Patients can tear or knot sheets to create makeshift ropes or ligatures for self-harm.Blankets: Blankets can be unraveled and used for similar purposes.Pillows: Pillowcases can be filled with heavy objects to create improvised weapons.
Clothing:
Belts and Shoelaces: These seemingly ordinary items can be used for self-strangulation or as ligatures.Drawstrings: Hoodies or sweatpants with drawstrings can be a risk if patients attempt self-harm.
Toiletries:
Razors and Shaving Blades: While necessary for grooming, these items can be misused for self-inflicted wounds.Toothbrushes: The handle of a toothbrush can be sharpened to create a makeshift weapon.
Electrical Outlets and Switches:
Patients might tamper with electrical outlets or switches with the risk of elecrtical shock and hazards such as creating sharp objects and ligature points. SecuringHospitals.com offers modified wall plates and outlet enclosures to reduce the risk of tampering or using these locations as ligature points.
Shelves and Ledges:
Shelves which provide storage space for personal belongings could use hide illicit substances or sharp objects on shelves or ledges. Additionally they can be ligature points if not designed to address this concern. SecuringHospitals.com offers shelves designed to reduce ligature ris and simplify visual inspeccitono by staff.
Hooks and Rails:
Patients might use clothes hooks or hanger rails to create ligatures for self-harm. A simple coat hanger can become a dangerous tool if misused. SecuringHospitals.com offers breakaway hooks and innovative closet rods to reduce the risk of ligature in patient rooms.
Mirrors:
While mirrors serve both practical and psychological purposes, conventional mirrors have an inherent ligature risk and can be shattered to create sharp shards. Securing hospitals.com offers a variety of low profile ligature and shatter resistant mirrors.
Light Fixtures:
Patients could attempt to break or dismantle light fixtures risking electrical shock and possibly creating sharp objects and ligature points. Conventional lighting fixtures with acrylic lenses are particularly vulnerable to such tampering. Securinghospitals.com offers extremely robust shatter resistant, tamper resistant and ligature resistant lighting fixtures.
Fire Sprinklers:
While critical for safety in the case of emergencies, patients might tamper with fire alarms or sprinklers, potentially causing false alarms or disabling safety systems. Securinghospitals.com offers suicide resistant wall and ceiling sprinklers.
Remember that balancing patient safety with their dignity and autonomy is crucial. Psychiatric hospitals must continuously assess and adapt their policies to minimize contraband risks while maintaining a supportive environment for healing.
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