 Every day mental health emergencies occur. They present themselves in emergency rooms nationwide and also in schools, primary care offices, jails, the workplace, churches and most anywhere. The most of people who commit suicide see their primary care physician during the month prior to their death; however, the symptoms of the suicidal patient are often overlooked. A lot of them have spoken with pastors, counselors or others about their despair. Knowing how to assess and appropriately intervene can often prevent the patient from attempting suicide. Managers, school counselors and others often encounter the chemically dependent or violent individual. Often law enforcement personnel encounter persons with bizarre behavior and those under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Knowing how to recognize the symptoms of mental health emergencies and how to address them is often vital to the safety of the individual and others.
In this practical and hands-on seminar, participants will learn how to quickly assess and triage mental health emergencies. You will be offered information on performing suicide and homicide risk assessments, mental status examinations and evaluation of the need for detoxification. You will discuss recognizing likely diagnoses based on knowledge of the patient's psychotropic medications. You will also find out about the practitioner's liability regarding emergency mental health. Also, the value of "contracts for safety" will be discussed. Unintentional commitment, inpatient and outpatient treatment criteria will be discussed in relation to both your state’s statutes and third party payment.
• Quickly assess and triage mental health emergencies
• Assess and intervene with suicidal, psychotic and dangerous patients
• Assess and intervene with substance withdrawal
• Completing the mental status examination
• Understand when and how to involuntarily commit patients
• Inpatient vs. outpatient criteria related to your state and managed care
• Legal and liability issues, including duty to warn and your responsibilities regarding EMTALA
You will learn:
• Patients at the greatest risk of suicide
• Precursors to suicide
• How to assess the risk for suicide and violence
• Which instruments to use to assess for suicide, violence, sexual aggression and substance withdrawal
• When to hospitalize versus utilization of the full outpatient continuum of care
• Crisis interventions for suicidal and psychotic patients
• How to develop effective safety plans
• Which patients require detoxification from substances
• How to assess withdrawing patients, including use of the CAGE and CIWA
• Which psychotropic medications are often associated with which psychiatric diagnoses
• How to perform a mental status exam, including the Folstein
• How to justify the appropriate level of therapeutic care to managed care companies
• The legal and liability implications of emergency mental health assessment and treatment
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