Approaches to Preventing Psychiatric Hospitalizations and Readmissions

Course overview

Behavioral health professionals sometimes suggest inpatient hospitalization for their clients even though that level of intervention may be more restrictive than needed. Clients might also choose to go to the emergency department to be assessed for hospitalization when other treatment options could be more appropriate. Additionally, many factors increase the risk of readmission to psychiatric inpatient facilities, often within a short period of time after discharge. These practices are costly and can be detrimental to the client and to the availability of resources to large populations in need of behavioral health services. This course will address factors that increase the risk of hospitalizations and readmissions, as well as alternatives to treatment for managing client crisis needs.