Behavioral Health Toolkit

This toolkit offers updated resources to help improve care for mental health patients who present to an acute care, behavioral health or an intensive outpatient setting. These resources are unique to mental health patients and include clinical assessments, behavioral triggers, risk assessment tools, scripting tools, cultural diversity self-assessments, environment of care assessment tools, depression screening tools and hotline resources that can help improve patient experience and provide a safer environment of care.

Care of the Behavioral Health Patient

Healthcare providers must be knowledgeable of the issues, risks and responses associated with care of the behavioral health patient. The following information will assist healthcare providers to optimize treatment of behavioral patients that present in various healthcare settings.

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    National Health Service Corps: NHSC Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services Checklist

    A checklist to assess comprehensive behavioral health service elements.

    TAGS: Health, Behavioral

  • Guidelines/Recommendations

    Guidelines/Recommendations

    Quick Safety Issue 53

    Article by The Joint Commission that discusses the value of psychiatric advanced directives and offers information on how to these can be developed with patients.

    TAGS: Mental, Health, Care, Treatment, Patient, Advance, Directive, Psychiatric

  • Policy Templates

    Policy Templates

    Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment

    Sample psychiatric advanced directive forms developed by the Office of Mental Health and Mental Health Advocacy Service.

    TAGS: Resources, Mental, Health, Patient, Issues

  • Flyer/Sign/Poster

    Flyer/Sign/Poster

    Infographic: Navigating a Mental Health Crisis

    An informational poster developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness that can be used by any healthcare organization. This poster can be used to educate patients and families or even staff members regarding mental health crisis and how to respond in an emergency.

    TAGS: Mental, Illness, Healthcare, Educate, Patient, Emergency

  • Guidelines/Recommendations

    Guidelines/Recommendations

    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. This guide provides a wealth of information on understanding mental illness, what to do in a mental health crisis and what to expect from treatment. It also includes a helpful portable treatment record that aids individuals and families in keeping up with health information and developing a plan of action for mental health crises.

    TAGS: National, Alliance, Mental, Illness, Planning, Action

  • Articles

    Articles

    National Institute of Mental Health

    NIMH provides resources on mental health topics and diseases based on conducted research.

    TAGS: NIMH, Mental, Topics

  • Articles

    Articles

    Treatment Advocacy Center-Louisiana

    This resource provides a description of the laws in Louisiana regarding the treatment of mental health patients.

    TAGS: Louisiana, Treatment, Mental, Health, Patients

  • Webinar

    Webinar

    Webinar: Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED

    The Emergency Department is the primary care provider for patients suffering behavioral or substance abuse diagnoses in many communities. The focus of this webinar is on the inherent risks related to the care of behavioral patients in the ED and strategies to prevent harm. See (link in CHER).

    TAGS: Emergency, Department, Risks, Tools, Patients, Educate, Behavioral

  • Webinar Slides

    Webinar Slides

    Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED Presentation

    Click to view the presentation slides used in the Safe Management of Behavioral Health Patients in the ED Presentation webinar.

    TAGS: Degree, Educate, Strategies, Risk, Harm, Mitigate

  • Assessment tools

    Assessment tools

    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. The assessment guides the organization in a comprehensive evaluation of processes and protocols that should be in place to ensure a safe environment for the behavioral health population.

    TAGS: Risks, Emergency, Patients, Health, Safety, Environmental

Depression & Suicide Screening & Prevention Best Practices

Depression and suicide screens are essential in identifying high-risk patients. Screening, assessment, re-assessment, education and prevention are the keys to a successful program. Provided are multiple tools to evaluate patients who present with signs and symptoms related to depression and suicide.

  • Screening Tools

    Screening Tools

    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.

    TAGS: Adult, Suicide, Risk, Patients, Tools, Screening

  • Webinar

    Webinar

    Webinar: Suicide Prevention of High-Risk Behavioral Patients

    The behavioral health patient who needs acute care presents unique challenges to patient safety. This webinar discusses suicide prevention in high-risk behavioral patients.

    TAGS: Webinar, Highly, Risk, Behavioral, Health

  • Webinar Slides

    Webinar Slides

    Suicide Prevention of High-Risk Behavioral Patients Presentation

    Click to view the presentation slides used in the Suicide Prevention of High-Risk Behavioral Patients webinar.

    TAGS: Patient, Health, Unique, Challenges, Suicide, Prevention, High-Risk

  • Articles

    Articles

    Suicide Prevention Resource Center

    Provides resources about suicide, effective prevention and training for patients and families.

    TAGS: Resources, Suicide, Training, Families

  • Screening Tools

    Screening Tools

    Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Brief Version)

    The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is provided in a brief version as a suicide risk screening tool. This short version rating scale assesses patients at risk for suicde that may enter a setting such as the emergency room quickly identifyng patients who are actively suicidal or experience suicidal thoughts.

    TAGS: Suicide, Severity, Scale, Patients, Risk, Emergency, Thoughts

  • Screening Tools

    Screening Tools

    Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Full Version)

    The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale full version is an assessment tool that provides an in-depth evaluation for patients at risk for suicide. The full version rating scale identifies patients who are actively suicidal or experiencing suicidal thoughts in a way that is more time-consuming. This tool is best suited for an environment conducive to this type of assessment such as an inpatient psychiatric stay.

    TAGS: Suicide, Severity, Risk, Patients, Assessment, Psychiatric

  • Screening Tools

    Screening Tools

    PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire

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

    TAGS: Screening, Patient, Depression

Safety and Security in Behavioral Health Arena

Maintanence of safety and security when caring for behavioral health patients is of paramount importance to ensure everyone remains safe. Use the resources in this section to evaluate and maintain a safe environment of care.

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    Post-Incident Debriefing Form

    Debriefing helps healthcare providers and the patient evaluate a crisis situation and plan to avoid future episodes throughout the patient’s stay. Interventions such as debriefing with patients post-violent episodes help to prevent reoccurring violence. This resource can serve as guide through the debriefing process.

    TAGS: Debriefing, Healthcare, Workers, Interventions

  • Algorithms

    Algorithms

    Use 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. HC Pro’s Hospital Safety Center has released an article detailing the pitfalls of such assignments.

    TAGS: Patients, Safety, Center, Officers, Trained, Competent

  • Policy Templates

    Policy Templates

    Sample Sitter Guidelines

    This document provides guidelines for sitters who observe patients identified as a danger to themselves and others. The form is an education tool for sitters to make them aware of expectations while they are sitting with the patient, including when to notify the nurse immediately. These guidelines are an important resource to help maintain a safe environment of care for patients.

    TAGS: Guidelines, Patients, Nurse, Immediately, Resources, Safety, Environment

Care of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Patient

The following resources concentrate on the care of pediatric behavioral health patients. The resources provided are screenings, scripts and education for healthcare providers, patients and guardians and are unique to the pediatric population.

Environment Of Care in Behavioral Health

The plan and design of the facility, along with patient surroundings, are make up the environmental of care. Checklists and assessments are provided in this section to assist an organization in maintaining safe inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings.

  • Guidelines/Recommendations

    Guidelines/Recommendations

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

    This resource provides information to maintain patient safety and mitigate incidents related to the enviroment of mental health pateints.

    TAGS: Training, Inpatient, Mental, Health, Environment

  • Guidelines/Recommendations

    Guidelines/Recommendations

    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.

    TAGS: VA, Tools, Mental, Health, Unit

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    VA Mental Health Environment Of Care Checklist for Mental Health Departments

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

    TAGS: Environment, Checklist, Mental, Health, VA

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    Behavioral Health Environmental Checklist

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

    TAGS: Risk, Patient, Safety, Dangerous, Health, Population

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    Intensive Outpatient Safety Checklist

    A risk management 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.

    TAGS: Risk, Management, Outpatient, Behavioral, Health, Environment

  • Checklists

    Checklists

    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.

    TAGS: Key, Focus, Harm, Health, Safety, Emergency, Tips, Identify, Risk

  • Webinar

    Webinar

    Fall Prevention in Behavioral Health

    Falls are a common adverse event for behavioral health patients. This webinar considers different fall risk assessments, the common causes of falls amongst this patient population and possible interventions to reduce the occurrence of falls.

    TAGS: Fall, Risk, Assessment, Patient, Interventions, Reduce

Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Resources inform patients, families and healthcare providers of accessible services related to mental health disorders, addictive disorders and substance abuse. Those listed below consist of national hotlines, self-assessments, advocacy services and regulatory authority.