Agenda 02-01-22; 7-a - Orange County Crisis-Diversion Facility – Updated Progress Report by the Orange County Behavioral Health Task Force and Special Recognition of Tony Marimpietri

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40 POTENTIAL BENEFITS: HOSPITAL-BASED CARE Reduces Use of Hospital Emergency Services. Studies have shown that absent a dedicated crisis facility, BH patients in crisis are treated in a hospital-based ED at greater rates than in communities with a dedicated crisis facility. The ED is required to board patients waiting for admittance to inpatient beds or other residential services.This overloads ED and is a poor setting for patients waiting for care.Boarding times in ED vary from a few hours to a few days and for some cases much longer. Having a dedicated crisis facility reduces burden on hospital-based ED,which is frequently at capacity.This allows ED to focus on patients who require hospital-based psychiatric emergency services and to maintain capacity for medical emergency escalations. Inpatient Bed Utilization. Nationally,data show that once a patient is admitted to hospital-based ED,there tends to be a higher rate of inpatient bed utilization as compared to having access to a dedicated crisis facility. A significant number of IVC patients can be treated in a dedicated crisis facility instead of requiring use of ED.If eventual transfer to inpatient or residential care is required,the Crisis-Diversion Facility will provide quality care in an appropriate setting at lower costs while awaiting transfer. Clinical Care Costs Savings. SAMHSA 2020,discusses a model developed by Crisis Now for comparison of clinical care costs in communities without a comprehensive crisis system (reliance on ED and inpatient beds) vs.communities with comprehensive crisis system (including a dedicated crisis facility). The Crisis Now analysis indicates that costs associated with hospital-based care can be reduced on the order of 50%. 27