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Toolkits

Behavioral Health

This toolkit offers updated resources to help improve care for behavioral health patients who present to acute care, behavioral health, or intensive outpatient settings. These resources provide an understanding of:

  • Clinical assessment
  • Behavioral triggers for behavioral health patients
  • Risk assessment tools
  • Scripting tools
  • Cultural diversity self-assessments
  • Environment of care assessment tools
  • Depression screening tools
  • Hotline resources

The toolkit is meant to help improve patient experience and provide a safer environment of care.

Toolkit Materials

  • Post-Incident Debriefing Form

    This resource is a post –incident debriefing form to assist healthcare professionals to find alternatives to aggressive or dangerous behaviors through the use of debriefing.

  • Using Security Officers to Monitor High-Risk Patients

    Is your organization using security officers as sitters or one-on-one observers? If so, be sure your staff are appropriately trained and competent in the tasks being delegated to them.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Mental Health Resources Flyer

    A flyer displaying resource information for national hotlines that can assist with mental health resources.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Adult Suicide Risk Screening Tool

    This resource is an assessment tool for healthcare providers to determine suicide risk in adult patients.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Brief Suicide Safety Assessment for Pediatric Patients

    These guidelines describe what healthcare providers should do when a pediatric patient screens positive for suicide risk.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Script for Nursing Staff

    A script for nursing staff to help explain the condition of their minor child to parents/guardians.

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Parent/Guardian Flyer

    A flyer providing information to parents/guardians regarding what will occur during their minor child’s behavioral health visit.

  • Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Checklist

    A checklist to determine a competency level in the area of promoting cultural diversity and cultural competency.

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Environmental Program Service Mental Health Guide

    This resource provides a tool regarding training used with the VA’s inpatient mental health environments.

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Office of Construction and Facilities Management Design Guide for Mental Health Facilities

    This resource provides a tool regarding the planning and design of a Mental Health Unit courtesy of the VA.

  • VA Mental Health Environment Of Care Checklist for Mental Health Departments

    An environment of care checklist for mental health areas courtesy of the VA.

  • National Health Service Corps: NHSC Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services Checklist

    A checklist to assess comprehensive behavioral health service elements.

  • PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire

    A depression screening assessment to determine the level of a patient’s depression.

  • American Academy of Pediatrics: Mental Health Screening and Assessment Tools for Primary Care

    This resource provides screening and assessment tools for primary care units involving patients with mental health issues.

  • Quick Safety Issue 53: Improving Care with Psychiatric Advance Directives

    This Psychiatric Advance Directive resource is a tool for the mental health population that offers the patient an opportunity to address issues specific to mental health care and treatment.

  • Webinar: Claims Trends Associated with Violence and Behavioral Health

    Escalating violence in healthcare organizations and concerns over the care of behavioral health patients has been on the rise. LHA Trust Funds Liability Manager Mike Walsh discusses claims trends associated with violence and behavioral healthcare.

  • Infographic: Navigating a Mental Health Crisis

    This infographic can be used to educate patients and families or even staff members regarding mental health crisis and how to respond in an emergency.

  • NAMI: Guide to Navigating a Mental Health Crisis

    A guide developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness designed to provide individuals with mental illness and their families with support and resources

Online Resources

Members-Only Toolkit Materials

  • Behavioral Health Environmental Checklist

    A basic checklist to help identify risks specific to the behavioral health population. This simple risk assessment will help reduce risks to patient safety in this population which may not be considered a danger in other settings.

  • Intensive Outpatient Safety Checklist

    A risk assessment tool, specific to the outpatient behavioral health environment, designed to help evaluate critical processes that should be in place to reduce risks and compliance issues.

  • Webinar: Mental Health Care in the Acute Setting

    This webinar offers practical guidance in the initial clinical assessment and management of mental health patients presenting to the Emergency Department or any first presentation setting.

  • Presentation Slides: Mental Health Care in the Acute Setting

    These slides accompany the “Mental Health Care in the Acute Setting” webinar and provide guidance for clinicians working as first responders in acute and emergent mental healthcare.

  • Webinar: Elopement of Patients Under Emergency Certificates and Commitments

    Robert Robison, partner at Watson, Blanche, Wilson & Posner, LLP, discusses DHH regulations as they relate to patient elopement and other important points related to the care of patients in these situations.

  • Presentation Slides: Elopement of Patients Under Emergency Certificates and Commitments

    These slides accompany the “Elopement of Patients Under Emergency Certificates and Commitments” webinar.

  • Limitation of Liability For Crisis Intervention Trained Staff

    Louisiana law offers limitation of liability for staff who utilize these techniques in good faith, but they must have documented training by an instructor certified in a formal nonviolent crisis intervention program. This document references the Louisiana statute that applies to this unique situation.

  • 20 Tips for a Safer Environment of Care

    The key to successfully caring for the behavioral health patient population is to focus on prevention of harm and have a plan of action in place for emergency situations. Review these tips to assist providers in identifying risks and promoting a safe environment for these patients.

  • Webinar: Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED

    This presentation focuses on the inherent risks related to the care of behavioral patients in the ED and strategies that can work to prevent harm to both patients and staff. It will also provide helpful tools attendees can utilize in their organizations to assist in risk mitigation.

  • Presentation Slides: Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED

    These slides accompany the “Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED” webinar.

  • Emergency Department Brief Behavioral Health Risk Assessment Tool

    This tool assists our members in identifying potential risks in the emergency room setting related to behavioral health patients.

  • Sample Sitter Guidelines

    This document provides guidelines for sitters who observe patients identified as a danger to themselves and others.

  • Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Brief Version)

    This tool is the short version to assess patients at risk for suicide that may enter a setting such as the emergency room. It is a rating scale that quickly identifies patients who are actively suicidal or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

  • Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Full Version)

    This full version rating scale identifies patients who are actively suicidal or experiencing suicidal thoughts in a way that is more time-consuming. It is best suited for an environment conducive to this type of assessment such as an inpatient psychiatric stay.

  • Webinar: Behavioral Health in Acute Care

    The behavioral health patient who needs acute care presents unique challenges to patient safety. Join our presenter for a discussion on behavioral health patient safety in the acute care setting.

  • Presentation Slides: Behavioral Health in Acute Care Webinar

    These slides accompany the “Behavioral Health in Acute Care” webinar.

  • Alzheimer’s Disease Brochure

    This brochure is an excellent resource to provide to families. It is meant to help them better understand some of the unique changes their loved one may experience and things that can be done to create a safer environment.