Citation

Boudreaux JG, Crapanzano KA, Jones GN, Jeider TA, Dodge VH, Hebert MJ, Kasofsky JM. Community Ment. Health J. 2015; 52(8): 1009-1014.

Affiliation

Capital Area Human Services District, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10597-015-9935-8

PMID

26362164

Abstract

Engagement in treatment for a person having a behavioral health crisis is critical to fully address the concerns of the individual as well as to prevent future crises. This study explored the benefits of establishing outreach visits from a local community mental health provider to psychiatric patients in an emergency department. Using retrospective analysis of data collected by a local mental health agency, the effect of receiving face to face contact in the emergency room with a community mental health worker (and/or telephone follow up) was compared to no outreach interaction. The effect of this intervention was a significant increase in initial appointment attendance at the local mental health clinic in the aftermath of a psychiatric crisis. Community mental health services provided in partnership with community emergency departments may improve patient engagement in aftercare and consequently help alleviate future behavioral health crises as well as return visits to the emergency department.

Language: en