Transforming Mental Health Crisis into Care: The Empath Approach

Transforming Mental Health Crisis into Care: The Empath Unit Approach for Psychiatric Emergencies

Our healthcare system struggles to adequately address the needs of patients requiring complex psychiatric care. The scarcity of accessible behavioral health treatment forces many individuals to seek help in emergency departments during crises. Unfortunately, these departments are often ill-equipped to handle such cases, defaulting to inpatient admissions that congest already overwhelmed ER beds. In reality, most psychiatric emergencies—including those affecting children—can be effectively resolved within 24 hours when intervention is prompt. Alarmingly, nearly one-third of ER beds are occupied by individuals in behavioral health crises, and patients often experience an average psychiatric boarding time of 4.6 days.

The EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatry Assessment, Treatment, and Healing) Unit represents a new a groundbreaking approach to managing mental health emergencies in emergency department settings. With nearly 60 advanced facilities nationwide, EmPATH units blend the calming, supportive environment of community crisis clinics with the capability to treat even the most acute psychiatric cases. Instead of letting patients languish for days in cold, windowless, gray, padded emergency rooms, EmPATH offers a serene communal setting where they can receive a comprehensive evaluation, initiate therapy, and, if needed, begin medication. This innovative model not only improves patient outcomes and satisfaction but also enhances safety, reduces the use of coercive interventions and restraints, minimizes unnecessary hospitalizations, and lowers boarding costs, and frees up emergency department beds for individuals facing other medical crises. By adopting the EmPATH approach, we can transform the way our healthcare system responds to behavioral health emergencies, ensuring timely, compassionate, and effective care for all.

Speakers:

Keynote:
Scott Zeller, MD, Vice President for Psychiatry, Vituity Inc.

Spotlight:
Andrea Bianculli, Vice President, Operations, Behavioral Health, Northwell Health

Moderator:
Kevin Claffy, Director, Cortech