Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services

Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services provides a full continuum of clinical services for adults with mental and emotional problems. Services include crisis evaluation, inpatient care, outpatient treatment, and psychiatric Home Health Care.

Psychiatric problems can stem from physiological, biological, psychological, and/or social factors. Based on this, our treatment services are bio-psychosocial in nature and recognize the mind/body connection. Individualized treatment is provided in a safe, confidential environment and may involve medication, psychotherapy, and/or social interventions. A multi-discipline team of professionals, which consist of psychiatrist and other physicians, clinical nurse specialist, RN's, LPN's, psychiatric technicians, licensed therapist and counselors, provide treatment.

In addition to providing the above services, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services has established a mental health presence within several of the health system's key service lines. Among those are the Cardiovascular Surgery Team, the Pain Management Team, and the Radiation Oncology Team. Nurses are available to provide psychiatric consultation and liaison services to other inpatient units throughout the hospital.

Another important service provided by Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services is the "Response Team". Experienced mental health professionals provide assessment and referral services to patients arriving in our Emergency Department with Psychiatric and/or Substance abuse problems. Free assessments are offered to anyone seeking help with mental health problems.

Summary of Key Psychiatric Services:

Inpatient Psychiatric Care
Outpatient Treatment
Home-Health Psychiatric care
Responses Crisis Assessment/Referral available in Emergence Department
Initial Assessments provided at no cost to the individual
Evaluation/Consultation liaison service offered throughout the hospital to medical patients and their families
Family Therapy/Education provided
Community Education presentations provided to civic groups, professional, church, and business organizations.

Location:	6th Floor - D Building Inpatient Unit 3rd Floor - H Building Outpatient Unit
Hours:	24 hours per day; Seven (7) days per week
Telephone:	799-4450 800-258-7741
Department Director:	David Schwemer (799-4440)
Medical Director:	B.R. Ashby, MD

Scope of Services Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services Department

SERVICES RENDERED:

1. The Psychiatric Inpatient Unit provides treatment, 365 days per year for the acutely ill adult mental health patient. The emphasis is a multidisciplinary approach to individual patient care with intensive treatment and reintegration back into the community or to a lower level of care. Typical diagnoses are major depression, anxiety disorders, schizoaffective disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

2. The Behavioral Medicine Unit provides treatment for the adult mental health population with medical problems, the suicidal patient with an active medical problem and the cognitively impaired patient. The unit provides treatment for recent excessive drinking/drugging behavior and in the acute need for detoxification and medical services in adult patients.

3. The Structured Outpatient Program is designed for adults who are able to remain in the community by requiring intensive psychiatric support. The program is designed to provide psychiatric stabilization and support services that will decrease the need for inpatient hospitalization.

4. Response

Response in a 24 hour crisis intervention service for psychiatric and substance problems which operates from the Emergency Department of Danville Regional Health System. The program is designed to assess, evaluate and make appropriate recommendations and referral for treatment.

Appropriate referrals include but are not limited to:
Overdose and suicide attempts
Depression
Anxiety
Psychosis
Alcohol and substance abuse or dependence

5. Home Health

Home Health psychiatric care involves the evaluation, psychotherapy and teaching activities necessary for the individual suffering from diagnosed psychiatric disorder that requires active treatment by a psychiatrically trained nurse and is confined to the home for the following conditions:

Agoraphobia, paranoia, acute anxiety
Delusions, hallucinations, agitation which affects the individuals safety
Psychiatric conditions associated with medical problems
Acute depression with vegetative symptoms

6. Community Education

In an attempt to serve the community and increase awareness, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services provides speakers for community education. Topics include, but are not limited to:
Alcoholism/chemical dependency issues
Anxiety disorders
Bipolar disorders
Violence (domestic and workplace)
Grief and loss issues
Depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Schizophrenia
Stress management

Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service

Introduction

Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Services provides assessment, referral and psychotherapeutic interventions for patients, families, and consultation to staff
in caring for the medically ill patient with mental health concerns.

Goal/Overview

Psychiatric consultation/liaison clinicians focus on the emotional, spiritual, cognitive and behavioral responses of patients and families. Use of psychiatric consultation/liaison clinicians ensures that patient's emotional needs are met, and patients and families feel cared for and patient satisfaction increases.

Scope

Psychiatric liaison nursing can be practiced wherever patients are located and who experience psychological pain associated with physical illness or its treatment. The nurse intervenes on an interpersonal level to expand the mental health services in non-psychiatric settings.

The nursing liaison provides support for a variety of issues, including

The psychosocial needs of patients and family members.
Problem solving in interpersonal relationships
Communication skills development
Ethical decision making and patient advocacy
Caregiver stress related to workload and emotional affect of care-giving

Hospital Based Psychiatric Liaison Nursing

Recipients of Service

Direct Care

Any patient admitted for diagnosis or treatment of an illness that experiences a psychological problem such as:
        Pain
       Prior history of mental illness
       Delirium
       Agitation
       Anger

Uncooperative with treatment

The patient's family who experiences psychological problems related to their family's illness.

Indirect Care

Staff nurses who seek consultation or supervision concerning the care of the hospitalized patient.
Other caregivers whose functions directly affect the hospitalized person.

Professional Qualifications

The Psychiatric Liaison Service is coordinated by a Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Specialist. Registered nurses who have completed competencies in an advanced assessment process and an education process of the liaison service will assist in the program. Other licensed professionals (LCSW/LPC) are available as consultants or therapist. If a formal medical assessment and interventions are determined the liaison team will request a psychiatrist consultation from the primary physician.

Roles

Therapist
Consultant to staff
Educator to staff, patients and families

Referral Process

Phone call to Inpatient Behavioral Health
Referral through SMS system

Phases of the Consultation-Process

Planning Phase

Identify pilot patient population or unit
Introduce components of the service to manager and staff
Get acceptance from the involved health care team and administrative support
Educate involved Behavioral Health Team
Support received from Behavioral Health Medical Director with plans for meeting to review cases.

Implementation

CNS will make daily rounds on pilot unit
CNS is available to develop educational programs as requested by the manager
Team available for consults

Components of the consultation liaison report

Purpose, dates, times, and activities of the consultation
Statement of the identified problem
Assessment of the related problem and related diagnosis
Proposed interventions
Alternative problem solving approaches
Evaluation of interventions