A Kilted First - Its Historymakin'

[MacHummel]

Great Ron
I also have worked the same field and had to use non violent crisis interventions to keep people safe the down side for me where I worked was a strict drerss code, at the high school I have two particular stidents I have to deal with and dealing with parents and wearing a kilt can go good or bad.

[cessna152towser]

Well done, Ron. I don't know how you can do that kind of job but I admire and respect you for it.

[smaughazard]

Great post, Ron. Handling hysterics (and drunks) is an art form unto itself. I'm glad that the young man was in the hands of someone as compassionate and caring as yourself. He- and the community- should be grateful for your services.

[RockyR]

Hey Ron,

Glad to hear that after all that, the only injury was a scratch on the wrist.

Without trying to sound callous, how did the kilt hold up to the abuse of the psychotic patient? I've had PLENTY of bouncers tell me about their stories in kilts, but none of someone who had to restrain a psychotic patient!

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Ron, glad you are OK, and good on you for being able to help the man out in his time of trouble even at risk to yourself.

[Riverkilt]

Good to know there are brother psych workers - and law enforcement folks who understand.

Take downs are dangerous in may ways, many agencies don't do them anymore and take the property damage or bail out and call the police - hardly fair to the police and not therapeutic for the client.

My boss only called the police and ambo after we assessed the client's condition as far too acute for staff to transport him to the hospital. And remember, a hands on situation is very rare in our rural outpatient setting. This was the first in five years.

As to the kilt questions from Mr. Bill and Rocky....I was wearing the USAKilts Gordon Modern Casual. Posted pics of it yesterday on the pic forum. Brand new.

When I arrived where the action was a large female staff had a partial basket hold in place - she was behind the client with her arms wrapped around him holding his arms down. Tough guy he was he could still wriggle and scratch and try to bite her and spit.

The former cop and I took the boy's arms under control and pulled them back up behind him and raised them and his body. Usually that takes away some purchase with the ground, doesn't hurt, but controls the client.

When he kept flailing and trying to kick we gently put him to the carpet by sweeping his legs out from under him with our legs. After that, he's belly down on the carpet, our legs are across his legs so he can't kick, and our arms hold his arms to the carpet. He can only try to spit and wriggle and do that reverse fingernail scratch by curving his fingers back. That's what got me on one of his wriggles. Early on we were sucker to his promises to relax and cut him some slack to test, then he'd attack.

The description is to help you visualize that at no point was the kilt an issue other than providing me more range of motion.

Standing, not an issue. Taking him to the carpet - more freedom of movement. Holding him safely to the carpet - more freedom of movement. These events, when done by trained folks, are well controlled. Not like the street wrestling law enforcement often has to do.

There was never a time that he could have grabbed my kilt. I always wear tartan boxers under my kilt at work (Dress Gordon to go with the Gordon kilt).

Because the kilt was never really in the action, any more than any of my other garments were, there was no damage. My knees were on a carpeted surface so they were fine.

I think the kilt also helped me pass my portion of control of the clients to the paramedics. We were in a tight spot between the wall of the office, a desk, and the door. It let me stand up more creatively.

Looking back to my seven years on inpatient psychiatric units and countless takedowns I can't think of any time a kilt would have been a hinderance. Think it would have given me the same additional freedom it did yesterday. Only downside was those units were tiled, not carpeted, but the single layer of pants cloth gave scant padding to knees anyway.

And, if we'd had to do the takedown from the point of the client being free to resist I don't think the kilt would be a hinderance. In fact, sometimes something unusual or unexpected, like a man wearing a kilt, can help startle a psychotic person closer to reality. Gives them pause.

Sorry to ramble so much here. Point is kilt survived fine and it helped me keep myself a bit safer than I would have been in pants. But certainly could have accomplished the same thing in pants.

Ron

[John M.]

Good to know you and your kilt are no worse for wear.

Oh & ramble away, being drawn into situations like that sometimes leave you a little wound-up for a day or two. Talking about it allways helps me to unwind so feel free.

[Streetcar]

Glad you're O.K. Ron!

No one likes to go "hands on" if they can avoid it. But doing that with someone in an "altered state" is especially dangerous.

It is a credit to you and the staff that you were able to get him under control with only minor injury to yourself.

[NewKilt]

Ron,

I truely admire the work that you do. It takes a special person. I'm glad that no one was seriously injured. Very good points about the extra freedom of movement afforded by the kilt. I imagine that same freedom of movement was an advantage for the Highland Regiments during the wars.

Darrell

[Chris Webb]

Good Heavens, Ron, and others as well! I'm simply humbled to hear stories like these ... I so glad you guys are out there.

Awesome.

Chris Webb