Lori Gaskin

Barely in her twenties, Lori Gaskin is wise and compassionate beyond her years. Lori is a Peer Mentor for UMass Transitions in the Worcester, Massachusetts area mental health facilities. The camera followed her through a typical work day at the Westboro State Hospital, where she spent most of her adolescent years as a treatment consumer. She and several other young people were eager to share their personal experiences and perspectives on restraints and seclusion in a way no book, journal article or lecture could ever fully capture. Lori's enthusiasm as a contributing member of the group composing the Youth Position Paper on R/S has prompted more awareness about creating trauma-sensitive environments as part of the restraint reduction/elimination philosophy.