Summary of Discharge Requirements from Hospital Inpatient and Emergency Department:
The Oregon Health Authority has prepared an overview of the rules on what hospitals are required to do for and with patients and their families or other designated support persons when they are seen in an emergency department and before a patient is discharged from an inpatient psychiatric setting.
The Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems has prepared a guidance document for member hospitals to assist them in developing their policies and practices for discharges from inpatient hospitalizations and involving family and other lay caregiver supports in the discharge process.
Safety Planning Information:
Click here for some basic information to guide you in learning more about how to develop a safety plan for use with your family.
There are many templates and approaches to making suicide safety plans. There are also several variations of safety plans that address suicide, self-harm, relapse, and other crises. The plan you develop in the emergency department is likely to be different that a plan developed with a therapist in an outpatient setting. Plans change over time and with progress in treatment and recovery for all involved. Be flexible with the changes that need to happen – revisit the plan and adapt it as needed.
Downloadable Resources:
- A Guide For Families Experiencing Suicide Crisis
- Risk and Protective Factors – A Primer (includes warning signs)
- Mental Health Toolkit for Parents (Portland, Oregon Metro Area)
- NAMI Resource Guide (Multnomah County, Oregon Area)
- Inpatient Discharge Planning Checklist (Oregon)
- Communication Checklist for Families & Healthcare Providers
- Downloadable CPS Parent Resources List (across Oregon)
- Standards of Care for Individuals with Suicide Risk
- Advice to Parents from a Kid Who’s Been There
- Video format for information and safety planning: https://www.nowmattersnow.org/skills
Suicide Prevention Information:
Recognizing risks and warning signs of suicide and knowing how to respond begins with knowledge. Knowing also that there are variations in the warning signs displayed by young people as compared to adults is important. The following are valuable links to learn more:
- Suicide Is Preventable
- Youth Suicide Warning Signs
- Oregon Youth Line
- Oregon Lines for Life
- Talks Save Lives
- Suicide Prevention Resource Council
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Information about Self Injury:
The Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery is translating the growing body of
knowledge about self-injury into resources for anyone seeking to better understand, treat, and prevent it. They provide highly useful information and tools for people who self injure, parents and other caring adults, friends, therapists, doctors, and other youth-serving professionals.
Collaborative Problem Solving Project at OHSU:
Collaborative Problem Solving is a model support that maintains the view that “children do well if they can.” If they can’t, the adults in their lives need to understand what is getting in their way in order to help them build the skills needed to do well in their day to day living. This viewpoint is a significant departure from the conventional idea that “kids do well if they want to.” OHSU has partnered with Think:Kids, a program in the Department of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital to support Oregon parents, health care providers and educators in the CPS model. For training schedule, click below.
- Collaborative Problem Solving Training Schedule
- Oregon CPS Project – Parent Resource List (across Oregon)
Free Trainings on Mental Health & Suicide Intervention Skills:
Mental health programs in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties have joined together to create a one-stop gateway where community members can go to learn about and register for free mental health trainings. With the help of skilled, qualified trainers, you can become part of a growing community of people who becoming first aid responders to help individuals who may be having an anxiety attack, suicidal thoughts, or showing signs of depression. Classes include: Mental Health First Aid, QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer), ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), CALM (Counseling on Lethal Means).
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):
NAMI is a support alliance for individuals living with mental illness and their families. They offer classes, support groups and other programs – all free of charge. For parents and caregivers of children under 18 years of age, the NAMI Basics course offers information on mental illness as a no fault brain disorder. NAMI Family to Family is a course for family members of loved ones living with mental illness. Both courses offer a wealth of knowledge and resources for attendees. To find out what is available in your community, visit the national NAMI website and look for your state chapter or county affiliate.
Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN):
Oregon Family Support Network is a grassroots community organization providing support groups and education to families with a strong advocacy component. Their purpose is to connect, empower and educate families and their communities to assure improved outcomes for children and youth experiencing significant behavioral health challenges. They also play a significant role in facilitating family/youth voice in local and state policy making. They offer an array of trainings around the state.
Youth Era:
Youth Era works to provide accessible support services to all young people. They focus on direct service, training, and advocacy—the building blocks for creating lasting change for young people in communities across the country. Youth Era creates lasting positive change in the lives of young people and the systems that serve them. By uniting a diverse collective of young adults and organizations around innovative solutions, Youth Era impacts thousands each year.
Making Health Care Suicide Safe:
Released in April 2018, this report includes the first-ever recommendations on suicide-related standard health care for primary care, behavioral health, and emergency department settings. Since 64% of people who attempt suicide visit a doctor in the month before their attempt, it is essential that people who are at risk for suicide receive timely access to treatments and other health care services that are known to be effective in reducing suicide risk. The new recommendations present feasible, practical, evidence-based actions that health care organizations can adopt immediately.
Oregon Legislation on Safer Mental Health Crisis Care:
- What hospitals are required to do when they discharge patients: HB2023
- How families are to be included in their loved one’s care: HB2948
- What emergency departments are required to do for patients being seen for a mental health crisis and their families: HB3090
- Crisis treatment that insurance companies are required to cover: HB3091