Emily Stratton – Children’s Mercy

Improving Outpatient Care Outcomes After Mental Health Screening In The Emergency Room

Emily Stratton – Children’s Mercy

After patients are assessed for mental health concerns in emergency room settings, patients often face many barriers to receiving follow-up outpatient therapy and other mental healthcare. Having a designated hospital social worker conduct a warm hand-off procedure and help patients connect with outpatient resources would engage more clients in follow-up care and reduce the need for return visits to the emergency room, which can be costly and traumatic for patients. Through collaboration within an interdisciplinary and interagency team, emergency room social workers can provide patients with equitable and effective connections to follow-up care.