When you get to the end, you get to start all over again…

I know you folks have (more or less) been under a constant bombardment of facts, figures, strategies, etc., relating to COVID-19 and, as every day brings us a little closer to a return to some sort of normalcy (It will be interesting to look back on how things changed as the result of the current emergency), I wanted to chat this week about one of those “other” things that is likely to be on the to-do list when we get to the recovery phase of this emergency.

Not that long ago (OK, two weeks ago), we covered the potential for an intensification of scrutiny in the outpatient setting. And, as it should turn out, one of those areas of potential is the management of behavioral health patients in that setting. Last month (March 2020) our friends in Chicago posted an FAQ aimed at “hospital and hospital clinic settings” that talks about expectations relative to risk assessments in non-psychiatric units/areas in general hospitals.

Of particular interest to me is the invocation of competency as a function of conducting the risk assessment “in areas where staff do not have the training to do this independently” and referencing “on-site psychiatric professional” as a potential resource. To me, that likely means that (and this may be the case of any risk assessment upon which you’ve modified practice, the environment, etc.) there will be questions about the risk assessment process, including “How do you know that the folks involved with the assessment were competent?” or something akin to that. I don’t know that everyone who has to (at least periodically) manage behavioral health patients is going to be able to access “on-site psychiatric professional” assistance, in which case it’s probably a good idea to clearly establish the credentials of the team or individual crafting the assessment. You can see what elements you’ll want to include here.

To aid in ensuring an appropriate environment for behavioral health patients, you might find the information assembled by the Center For Health Design to be useful. There is (almost literally) a ton of resources, from interviews, webinars, and podcasts to discussions of design elements, etc. As we have seen over the past few years, the management of the behavioral health environment is very much a moving target and the more information we have at our disposal, the more (dare I say) competence we can obtain. Every one of us is a caregiver to one degree or another and this is another useful resource that will help provide the most healing environment possible.

Please stay safe and (reasonably) sane ’til next time!

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Greeley Company in Danvers, Mass. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is also a contributing editor for Healthcare Safety Leader. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.