Erin Treder

Documentation isn't important only because of concerns about lawsuits. Good documentation provides a detailed account of an incident so that appropriate follow-up action is taken, patterns and trends are identified, policies and procedures can be assessed, and steps can be taken to improve the safety of everyone in your facility.

Stress, work overload, and competing needs for time combine to produce a feeling called burnout. Burnout is the physical or emotional exhaustion that results from long-term stress. If you work in human services, you'll probably experience it at one time or another. If you suffer from burnout, you are likely to feel helpless, hopeless, unmotivated, and unappreciated.

With a little practice and commitment to learning new skills, you can reduce your symptoms of stress. There's no one relaxation technique that's perfect for everyone, but here are some you might want to try, either alone or in combination.

Living in an abusive relationship is dangerous, but it can also be dangerous to try to leave one. This article is the second in a series of two about how you can safely leave if you are the victim of abuse.

People wonder why women who are abused do not leave their violent partners. From the outside, it seems so simple, but it's not. Living with a batterer is dangerous, but leaving one can be dangerous, too. This article is the first in a series of two on how to leave an abusive relationship safely.

It's important to take preventive steps before going on home visits to families of children because they can present a number of potential challenges. Prevention and planning are the keys to safe and successful home visits. You can use these tips before the visit, while traveling to the site, and during the visit itself.

Communicating with a student who is nonverbal or who has limited verbal skills can be difficult. Misunderstandings and frustrations are common and can lead to crisis incidents. You can learn how to reduce aggression and agitation when communicating with nonverbal students.

Every school has its bullies—people who try to show that they're stronger and more powerful than others. They do this through name-calling, making threats, spreading rumors, and other behaviors.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias can affect a person's ability to understand information and make his needs known. As a result, there may be times when a family member with Alzheimer's is confused, irritable, stubborn, argumentative, or even verbally abusive. But there are ways to ensure that you and your loved one enjoy pleasant, stress-free visits.

It's normal for teens to feel angry sometimes, but there are good and bad ways for them to deal with it. Teens can learn to handle anger in a positive way by following a few guidelines.