Who
- Sacramento Region:
- Hospital social work managers
- County behavioral health department staff
- Children law center attorneys
- Child Protective Services counsel
- Other mental health professionals
What
The Sacramento Regional Behavioral Health Task Force (convened by the Hospital Council) established a discharge planning and transitions of care workgroup to guide the process to release adolescent patients, yet placement options are scarce.
The workgroup had previously developed a guide for hospital staff who receive young patients involved in child protective services or probation and need behavioral health care — Caring for System-Involved Youth in Acute Hospital Settings: Step-by-Step Guide for Hospital Personnel. One key element of that protocol is the recommendation that an in-person, virtual, or telephonic care conference happen as early as possible for all youth who will be transitioning from the hospital to another setting/placement.
The workgroup has now developed a separate Placement of System Involved Youth Discharged from Psychiatric Hold: Step-by-Step Guide for Psychiatric Facility, Child Welfare Agency/Probation and Child’s Attorney for youth involuntarily hospitalized under Welfare and Institutions Codes.
Next Steps
To accompany both decision-making tools, the workgroup is creating a list of hospital emergency departments and inpatient mental health facilities for the Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services to contact when a dependent child has been placed on a mental health hold.