CLINICAL QUALITY OF CARE – PRACTICE PARAMETERS 

Office of the Chief Medical Officer 
Clinical Operations 


Access to Care After Discharge from Psychiatric Hospitals and Juvenile Justice Programs

SC-9
 
Category: Special Considerations
Published Date: October 2010
  1. GENERAL PARAMETERS
    1. Timely and appropriate access to mental health services shall be provided to individuals or their adult caregivers seeking such services when discharged from a psychiatric inpatient service (hospital) or released to the community by the court from a juvenile justice program.
    2. Whenever possible and desired by the individual, the services shall be offered near the individual's place of residence.
       
  2. SCHEDULING OF INTAKE ASSESSMENT AND APPROPRIATE TREATMENT SERVICES
    1. Those individuals who have been receiving psychotropic medications from a hospital or juvenile justice program shall be seen by an appropriate level of staff within seven days of discharge or appointment request, whichever is most recent.
      1. An appointment shall be given with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner in addition to other appropriate staff.
    2. In locations where appointments are not given and/or the services are provided on a "walk-in" basis, staff from the hospital, juvenile justice program, caregiver or individual requesting the appointment shall be given a day, slot and/or time to arrive in order to receive the appropriate service in a timely manner.
    3. Clerical and intake staff shall be trained and directed to notify the supervisor or program manager of the clinic or agency should there be an issue or apparent inability to schedule the appointment or service, before the request for service is denied.
    4. Staff from hospitals or juvenile justice programs and/or program managers shall notify the District Chief of the appropriate service area for resolution of their own or other programs' or agencies' inability to schedule the appointment or service.