Description

This is a report on the Commission and its Mental Hygiene Medical Review Board's investigation into the death of Janice Sherman [a pseudonym], a 19 year old patient at South Beach Psychiatric Center who died in restraint for agitation. She had a history of multiple psychiatric hospitalizations since the age of 15 following a suicide attempt, and unquestionably posed a severe treatment challenge to the staff of the psychiatric center. But, in attempting to cope with the patient's agitated behavior, on numerous occasions both the State Mental Hygiene Laws and the Office of Mental Health regulations governing the use of restraints and seclusion were disregarded.