Urgent Care Services
Urgent Care Services
Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) is a treatment model that is intended to offer a diversion from the
use of emergency departments or hospitals to address individuals experiencing behavioral health crises.
This model offers an array of services that begins with initial triage and may include brief assessment,
stabilization and intervention, nursing assessment and intervention, psychiatric intervention, case
management, and disposition and discharge planning. Upon a triage determination or urgent or
Emergent, a person will receive BHUC services to include an assessment or assessments, crisis and deescalation interventions, and discharge planning.
Triage: Prompt screening of acuity and consumer’s treatment needs to determine priority level for routine versus urgent/emergent intervention or the need for emergency medical attention. This would occur independently if there are multiple consumers presenting rapidly, or could be part of the Partners 10.21.2021 assessment process if there are no delays in commencing services. Completion of a Comprehensive Clinical Assessment is not required.
Triage: Prompt screening of acuity and consumer’s treatment needs to determine priority level for routine versus urgent/emergent intervention or the need for emergency medical attention. This would occur independently if there are multiple consumers presenting rapidly, or could be part of the Partners 10.21.2021 assessment process if there are no delays in commencing services. Completion of a Comprehensive Clinical Assessment is not required.
Assessment:
All individuals/members will be seen by a licensed professional. Rapid assessment of clinical presentation
related to the crisis situation. Assessment elements may be acquired through a variety of assessments
completed by qualified professionals, licensed professionals, nursing staff, and psychiatric prescribing
professionals. The BHUC brief assessment will include the following elements (clinical components of
assessment must be conducted by staff member with the appropriate clinical license:
- Crisis risk assessment - triage
- Demographic information
- BH and medical treatment history (self-reported by consumer)
- Reason for visit/referral
- Urgency and Risk Status
- Current Medications
- Current medical status and medical clearance determination
- Bio-psycho-social information
- Current Mental status
- Provisional determination of an appropriate level of care for referral
- Establishment of Diagnoses or Interim Diagnoses (licensed clinician only)
- Case Management Assessment including
- Identification of social determinants of health
Intervention:
Interventions include strategies and actions for the purposes of providing treatment and crisis de escalation. The following is a list of interventions that will occur during an episode of BHUC:
- Safe and comfortable atmosphere
- Crisis de-escalation support
- Determination of the most appropriate level of care
- Intake and brief assessment of behavioral health, medical and case management needs
- Brief intervention and treatment by a licensed professional
- Initiation or continuance of medication management
- Coordination and arrangement of follow-up referrals and appointments (primary care, ongoing behavioral health care)
- Brief case management and community resource information
- If necessary, completion of first evaluations to initiate the IVC process
