Learning techniques to better understand and correct the actions of children with behavioural problems was one of the advantages for staff in Child and Adolescent Services and those in Court Services when Fernando Vinagre visited Bermuda recently.

Mr. Vinagre, a behavioural analyst with the Devereux Foundation in Florida, came with two colleagues from the Foundation to strengthen ties to Bermuda.

“We recently opened a contract with Bermuda and have had four clients brought to us for evaluation and assessment,” he said.

Mr. Vinagre works in the Intensive Residential Treatment Center (IRTC) operated by the Foundation in Florida. The IRTC treats severely emotionally, behaviourally and psychiatrically disturbed youth from five to 17.

He said Bermudian adolescents brought to the IRTC are undergoing a full assessment that takes 90 days. It entails reports on their functional capacity, psychology and psychiatric reports.

“Professionals in each discipline do their own assessment and then meet to determine the best treatment,” said Mr. Vinagre.

The facility staff includes direct care professionals, nurses, an activity therapist, speech therapist, administrative case manager, psychotherapist, certified behavioural analyst and a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

A PhD psychologist is available for consultation and testing.

Mr. Vinagre said the main purpose of the visit was “work out the ideal process” for handling cases from Bermuda.

“Exactly how to handle admissions, the treatment process and how discharge will be handled.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said the teens were sent overseas because all local resources to help them had been tried.

A release from the Ministry read: “The Department utilises facilities such as Devereux when all local resources have been exhausted and it is determined that a child would benefit from a placement in the programme.”

Mr. Vinagre was in Bermuda with the Foundation’s Director of Customer Relations and Director of Operations. The team of three was able to give local staff a wealth of information on how the Foundation can be helpful to Bermuda.

“Amy Blakely, our Director of Operations, oversees all the 46 programmes the Foundation runs in the state of Florida,” said Mr. Vinagre.

The Devereux Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that runs programmes in 18 of the US states. The IRTC is one of three centres on the Foundation’s Viera Campus in central Brevard County, Florida.

Also on the campus are: a Dual Diagnosis Center for children and adolescents with symptoms of both mental illness and mental retardation, and an accredited school — Devereux School.

In addition to training staff at Court Service and Child and Adolescent services, Mr. Vinagre also met with the family of one of the Bermudian youth brought to IRTC.

He offered specific training to them. He explained techniques and methods used by staff at IRTC to effect positive changes in the teenager.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said: “We feel that goes a long way with the transitioning and discharge of children back to their families.”

Mr. Vinagre agreed saying his training helps to ensure that the teen returns to an environment where he/she continues to receive appropriate support.

The Ministry of Health hailed the meetings and training sessions as a great success and said: “The outcomes of these meetings will be used to develop consistent contact between the children, their families and the appropriate local services.

All involved in the process are optimistic that this will increase the likelihood of success for our children.”