GRASP: a truly healing environment through faster de-escalation
The success of Recornect's de-escalation solutions is largely determined by GRASP™, the unique software on which all CoWin™ hardware solutions operate. But what is that makes this software so special and effective? Founder and director, Erik Kuijpers, gives us a glimpse behind the screens. 'We don't make software and hardware - we make work dynamics.’
Recornect's CoWin™ de-escalation solutions are embraced by a fast-growing number of care organisations worldwide. Powerful hardware, that has been proven in practice for years now, forms one of the cornerstones of this success. However, the essence of Recornect's success is defined by a deep and fundamental understanding of the practice of psychiatric care, reflected in Recornect's software: GRASP. ‘You could regard GRASP as software,' says Recornect founder, Erik Kuijpers, 'but in fact, it's the result of the dynamics between client and care worker, which we discovered through years of experience in practice.’
Self-management and coping strategies
According to Kuijpers, it's important to clients dealing with loss of control that they still have a feeling of self-managing, in order to facilitate a faster recovery. ‘Every person has their own way of coping with a crisis - we call that the individual coping style. CoWin™ and GRASP™ make it possible for care professionals to take over only the absolutely necessary control from someone, with clear frameworks but scope for individual coping strategies. That scope offers clients the possibility of climbing out of a crisis on their own. We see in practice that this leads to a faster and longer-lasting recovery. Contrary to other software available on the market, GRASP offers both clients and care professionals powerful tools which means that de-escalation or recovery can be worked on from both sides.'
Acceptance of emotions
‘Sometimes, it's quite simply not safe or responsible to be together in the same space,' Kuijpers continues. ‘In that case, CoWin™ and GRASP™ make contact possible. For example, someone might be very angry with a care worker who has contained them. Where this kind of primary rage is present, contact is difficult, but as a care worker, you also want to show you understand the client's emotional state. However, feelings of anxiety rightly get in the way of this contact. GRASP offers applications that offer scope for the anger, where clients can vent. The simple fact that this anger is acknowledged generally ensures a faster return to a lower level of energy with space for equivalent contact and with that, ultimately recovery.’
Faster de-escalation
According to Erik Kuijpers, too many incidences of escalation can completely disrupt a unit. 'Increased tensions from a great many escalations on a unit makes huge demands on both care staff and clients. Everywhere CoWin™ and GRASP™ have been successfully implemented, we see less tension and better workflow on units. Our fundamental understanding of what might seem to be a simple fact - that a person in crisis often wants to be heard and validated - is hugely important in this. For example, when a person in crisis is being transferred, it can sometimes be stressful not knowing whether or not it will go well. Are you taking a conflict from outside into a unit? Not immediately resorting to containment but letting the person calmly get used to the new surroundings, for example with relaxing images, can be enough to ensure that a person de-escalates faster and subsequently puts no extra pressure on a unit.’
CoWin immediately embraced
There are sometimes assumptions about CoWin™ and GRASP™ that, broadly speaking, turn out to be wrong. For example, the idea that CoWin™ provides a person in crisis with too many stimuli. According to Kuijpers, the opposite is true. 'Because we live in a highly technical society, clients in crisis intuitively recognise the usefulness and purpose of the CoWin™ media wall and the solution is often immediately embraced. We more often see some reservations about our system on the part of care staff. However, after a brief introduction and training session, it's soon clear to them that as care workers, they are in control of the system and actually now have a new, powerful tool with which to stay in contact in a safe way. If that can be done with a chat, we always say: so much the better. It's Recornect's mission to deploy our hardware and software to facilitate both care worker and client in coming in contact with each other, using new tools as well as the usual techniques and clearing the way for a real healing environment.’
Further development of GRASP
Recornect continues to work hard on new developments in the areas of both hardware and software. For example, on the completely new CoWin™ Play™, the affordable solution for medium-security environments. According to Kuijpers, the team of software developers is also working on a number of interesting updates. ‘At present, we're working on a translation application and exploring the possibilities for creating an electronic learning environment especially for juvenile units, so that education remains possible, even during a temporary or long admission. We also want to work towards a powerful personalisation, for example where care workers can load a personal profile even before admission. The GRASP platform offers a really powerful foundation, but it can be refined and expanded, something we work on every day at Recornect, and with much energy and great pleasure.’
