{"id":11339,"date":"2023-01-19T13:40:13","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/?post_type=case-study&p=11339"},"modified":"2023-01-20T12:43:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T17:43:20","slug":"teamwork-mental-wellness-for-behavioral-health-professionals","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/stories\/teamwork-mental-wellness-for-behavioral-health-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Teamwork & Mental Wellness for Behavioral Health Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In recognition of Mental Wellness Month, we sat down with one of our BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts\u00ae), Tyler Long, to learn how Grafton\u2019s Winchester team is making mental health a priority. Long also offers some valuable advice on how behavioral health professionals can safeguard their mental wellness year-round.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to mental wellness, what lessons can we learn from the Winchester team?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having supportive coworkers is a huge part of mental wellness, especially when you\u2019re working directly with behavioral health clients. I work as a BCBA for the three Intensive Support Classrooms in Winchester, and our teams do a phenomenal job of understanding each other. We make a point of knowing each other\u2019s triggers and noticing when someone needs a break. For example, if a colleague has been working with the same student for a while, and it\u2019s clear that the child is exhibiting challenging behaviors, that\u2019s when another staff member will know it\u2019s time to step in and switch out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Winchester, we also have a safe word that we can use to tell our coworkers when we need a break, and it\u2019s non-negotiable. If someone says \u201cpineapple,\u201d their teammates know it\u2019s time to step in and provide relief. It may seem like a small thing, but being able to take a breather when things get too intense is crucial to maintaining your mental health at work. We all have rough days, but they feel manageable when you have a good team that\u2019s going through it with you. We all have each other\u2019s back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us about a time when you\u2019ve used \u201cpineapple\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We had a client a couple years ago who was tough, but she could also be really sweet and loving. I had built a good rapport with her, and we laughed a lot and had fun. One day, she just kept grabbing my ankles and trying to bite me. At one point, she grabbed me, and I had to summersault to protect myself. Immediately after, I needed to block her from injuring herself. The combination of protecting myself while also trying to prevent her self-injurious behavior was just becoming too much for me. I wasn\u2019t in a good mindset to keep dealing with this escalated situation, so I said, \u201cGuys, I just need to take a pineapple.\u201d I was able to quickly switch out with a staff member in another part of the building and everything worked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oftentimes, when you have a close-knit team, they will know that you need a break even before you do. A few years ago, I was working with a kid who would spit at me when he was escalated, and spitting is a trigger for me. One of my colleagues saw this student spitting at me and noticed my body language. They immediately stepped in and said, \u201cYou can go, I got this!\u201d I was really grateful for that. Sometimes you just need to step back and take a deep breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any communication tips for behavioral health staff?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having open conversations with your team is important. We all have personal things going on outside of work, and it\u2019s important to leave that at the door, so you can be 100% present for the clients while you\u2019re here. That being said, I encourage people to communicate with their colleagues if they\u2019re having a rough time. If your teammates know something is going on, they can look out for you a bit extra and make sure you\u2019re okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have any advice for employees seeking to improve their mental wellness?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re always teaching clients coping strategies, but we should also be asking ourselves what coping strategies we should be using. For some people, it\u2019s as simple as taking a hot shower or maybe a bath. The classroom can be pretty loud, so when I\u2019m driving home from work, I like complete silence. Some days, I ask my family for 10 minutes to decompress when I get home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive self-care can work wonders, but if things get too bad, don\u2019t be afraid to seek counseling. I have used Grafton\u2019s free employee counseling when I was going through some things, and I highly recommend it. This is clich\u00e9, but it\u2019s okay to not be okay. Everybody has something going on. At Grafton, one of our Foundational Five<\/a> beliefs is \u201cassume trauma.\u201d I do that not only with our kiddos, but with our staff as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, having self-awareness of how we\u2019re feeling is so important. When we\u2019re interacting with clients, we need to ask ourselves, \u201cAre we calm? Are we relaxed?\u201d If we\u2019re showing our frustrations, the kids will often pick up on our body language. Whenever our clients are at their worst, we have to be at our best. If that means you need to take a \u201cpineapple\u201d and switch out, do it. Once you\u2019ve stepped away, you can take a deep breath and process what just happened. Did you have a good night\u2019s sleep? Do you need to take a mental health day? Do what you need to do, so when you come back, you\u2019re in a better place to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11327,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11339","case-study","type-case-study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTeamwork & Mental Wellness for Behavioral Health Professionals - Grafton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/stories\/teamwork-mental-wellness-for-behavioral-health-professionals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teamwork & Mental Wellness for Behavioral Health Professionals - Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In recognition of Mental Wellness Month, we sat down with one of our BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts\u00ae), Tyler Long, to learn how Grafton\u2019s Winchester team is making mental health a priority. 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