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 provide an understanding of clinical assessment, behavioral triggers for mental health patients, 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
Behavioral health encompasses many facets. Healthcare providers must be knowledgeable of the issues, risks and responses associated with these behaviors. The following information assists in the treatment of behavioral patients that present in many healthcare settings. Education is provided for patients, families and healthcare workers to reduce these risks and improve safety when caring for psychiatric patients.
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National Health Service Corps: NHSC Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services Checklist
A checklist to assess comprehensive behavioral health service elements.
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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.
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Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment
Sample psychiatric advanced directive forms developed by the Office of Mental Health and Mental Health Advocacy Service.
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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.
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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.
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National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH provides resources on mental health topics and diseases based on conducted research.
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Treatment Advocacy Center-Louisiana
This resource provides a description of the laws in Louisiana regarding the treatment of mental health patients.
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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 most communities. The ED is a treatment setting that is often not designed for staff to safely manage this population.
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.
- Identify the degree to which behavioral health patients present in the ED.
- Describe the major risks associated with behavioral health patients in the ED.
- Discuss strategies to mitigate the risk of harm to staff and patients in the ED.
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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.
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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.
Depression & Suicide Screening & Prevention Best Practices
Depression and suicide screens are essential in identifying high-risk patients. Implement a plan to maintain safety in all patient care areas. Screening, assessment, re-assessment, education and prevention are the keys to a successful program. Attached are multiple tools to evaluate patients who present with signs and symptoms related to depression and suicide.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Provides resources about suicide, effective prevention and training for patients and families.
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Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Brief Version)
The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is provided in both the full and brief version as a suicide risk screening tool. This short version rating scale assesses patients at risk for suicide that may enter a setting such as the emergency room, quickly identifying patients who are actively suicidal or experiencing suicidal thoughts.
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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.
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PHQ-9 Patient Depression Questionnaire
A depression screening assessment to determine the level of a patient’s depression.
Safety and Security in Behavioral Health Arena
Evaluate post-violent incidents to identify alternatives to handle these situations and prevent future episodes. Educate staff to maintain competency in a safe environment. Consider the use of resource officers to monitor behavioral patients. Guidelines and checklists are provided below to follow the appropriate course of action.
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Post-Incident Debriefing Form
Debriefing helps healthcare workers and the patient evaluate a crisis situation and plan to avoid future episodes throughout the patient’s stay. Interventions such as debriefing sessions with patients post-violent episodes help to prevent reoccurring violence. This resource is a post-incident debriefing form to assist healthcare professionals in finding alternatives to aggressive or dangerous behaviors through the use of debriefing. This checklist provides the steps for conducting a debriefing interview and provides a guide to open communication.
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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.
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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.
Care of the Pediatric Behavioral Health Patient
The following material concentrates on the care of pediatric behavioral health patients. These guidelines provide screenings, scripts and education for healthcare providers, patients and guardians limited to the pediatric population.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Environment Of Care in Behavioral Health
The plan and design of the facility, along with patient surroundings, are involved in environmental safety. Checklists and assessments of these areas are available to maintain safe inpatient and outpatient behavioral health locations.
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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.
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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.
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VA Mental Health Environment Of Care Checklist for Mental Health Departments
An environment of care checklist for mental health areas courtesy of the VA.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Behavioral Health Claim Trends
Claims are consistently associated with the elopement of patients and those patients who are committed for psychiatric treatment. To mitigate risks leading to such claims, review the following educational material. This data offers webinars, educational tools and legal and regulatory requirements to care for mental health patients.
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Limitation of Liability For Crisis Intervention Trained Staff
Hospitals are encouraged to train all staff in violence and de-escalation techniques to help defuse potentially aggressive individuals. 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.
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Webinar: Legal Issues in the Emergency Department Before and After the PEC
This webinar discusses the legal and regulatory requirements for treating psych patients in the emergency department. The presenter will also provide actual case studies to illustrate both the right and wrong way to handle some of the unusual and unexpected situations that may arise.
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.
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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.
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Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Checklist
A self-assessment checklist to determine a competency level in the area of promoting cultural diversity and cultural competency.
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Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority
Provides information on the licensing and credentialing of addiction counselors and prevention professionals in Louisiana.
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA provides resources for mental health patients and healthcare practitioners.
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Louisiana Department of Health-Behavioral Health
Provides information on the Louisiana Behavioral Health Advisory Council.
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Alzheimer's Disease Brochure
Living with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s Disease can be very challenging as the disease slowly impairs the ability to remember, think and reason appropriately. 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.
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Louisiana Law Help-Mental Health Advocacy Service
This resource provides support for mental health patients in the state of louisiana.