Raylena Loiselle

"Is that really necessary?" she gently asks a clearly agitated young man as he pounds his fists on a chalkboard. Raylena Loiselle's position as a Peer Mentor with UMASS Connections is more than just a job - It's a conviction. Raylena calls upon vivid, not-so-distant memories to inform her work as a peer mentor. She poignantly reflects, "I lost count at 54 restraints while I was in mental hospitals."  From pet therapy dogs, and outside space, to sensory approaches and laughter, Raylena believes it is critical, "to just know as much about whomever you are serving as possible and help them find their releases before things escalate out of control."  Spending a few days with Raylena as she went about her duties, which have come to include her contribution to a Youth Position Paper on Restraint/Seclusion Reduction, was inspiring and rewarding.