Brief Treatment: Rapid Stabilization & Safety Enhancement Service

The Rapid Stabilization and Safety Enhancement Service is based on a belief that the most effective approach to behavioral health care is a focused, individualized, and collaborative treatment effort that efficiently integrates the resources of staff, patient, and the community. We are committed to helping each patient develop a safety enhancement plan to address not only the immediate risks of harm that precipitated this hospitalization; but to initiate interventions that will help the patient to identify and change those patterns of behavior that would increase the likelihood of a similar crisis in the future. The primary focus of care is on patient safety. Patient safety is best ensured by providing therapies that rapidly stabilize the patient’s symptoms; teaching skills and strategies to the patient to maintain that stability; and re-establishing the patient’s confidence in their functional capacities through the achievement of self-determined daily treatment goals and objectives. Inpatient services are to be brief and intensive. Staff expectation for rapid improvement is extremely high and is communicated to patients verbally, and according to the structure and guidelines for participation in the program.

Goals

  1. to ensure the safety of patients involved in rapidly evolving situations of crisis, symptom escalation, and significant functional impairment
  2. to focus treatment services on the effective and efficient reduction of
    assessed risk factors for each patient
  3. to provide rapid psychiatric stabilization, teach symptom management skills, and accelerate restoration of functional capacities, so the patient can safely continue care on an outpatient basis
  4. to engage and mobilize family and other social support systems to ensure the safety and stability of the patient will be maintained following discharge
  5. limit inpatient stay from 2 - 5 days

Patient Profile

Patient presents as an immediate or potential safety risk in response to a
crisis, as the result of a rapid escalation of symptoms, or due to the recent loss of functional capacity without readily available or identified deterrents; there is a reasonable clinical expectation that the patient may be able achieve stabilization in response to rapid and intensive therapies (based on symptom presentation and history); access to family/social supports is available and can be rapidly mobilized or initiated within 72 hours; patient has the physical and cognitive abilities to fully participate in an intensive, psycho-educational, individual, group, and family therapy program; patient is able to be engaged in the therapeutic process, collaborate in the treatment planning process and comply with medication and other therapies (by history and presentation)

Patients who based on history and presentation are not likely to achieve stability, improve functioning, or collaborate to develop skills needed to reduce risks to safety within the five day length of stay should not be admitted to the Brief Treatment Service.

Legal Status

Voluntary or PEC under risk of harm category meeting patient profile guidelines above. PEC under gravely disabled category should not be admitted