Katie Graves

Katie Graves

Assistant Professor

[email protected]

Lessons Learned

• Through my work, I’ve realized that simply providing staff training on restraint reduction or disability awareness is insufficient if facility culture and systemic incentives do not change. Staff may default to punitive or restrictive practices when under stress, understaffed, or lacking alternative strategies. Sustainable change requires leadership commitment, ongoing coaching, and embedding trauma-informed, disability-sensitive approaches into daily routines.
• I have learned that without rigorous data collection, reporting, and oversight, maltreatment and misuse of restraint and seclusion remain hidden. Facilities often lack transparent systems for tracking incidents involving youth with disabilities, making it difficult to identify patterns of abuse or overuse. Meaningful reform requires not only policies but robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and protect vulnerable youth.
• Seclusion is never warranted!!!
  (Krezmien, M. P., Travers, J., Valdivia, M., Mulcahy, C., Zablocki, M., Ugurlu, H. E., & Nunes, L. (2015). Disparate disciplinary confinement of diverse students in juvenile corrections. In Transition of Youth and Young Adults (Vol. 28, pp. 273-290). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.)

Resources Developed

• Restraint and Seclusion: A Review of Practices and Policy (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10534512231179099)
• Bullying and Youth with Disabilities: Understanding the Complexity of Involvement (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/s0735-004x202300000…)
• Opportunities to Respond and Behavior-Specific Praise in the Juvenile Justice Setting: Teacher Professional Development and Coaching (https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/104680)

Suggested Resources

• Restraint and Seclusions:  Resource Document (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/restraints-and-seclusion-resources.pdf)
• Reece Peterson, Ph.D ([email protected] - restraint and seclusion reference point]
• Restraint and seclusion in U.S. school settings: Recommendations for allied treatment disciplines (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-01560-009) 

Collaborative Areas of Interest

• Restraint and Seclusion
• Juvenile Justice (PBIS)
• School safety