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Protocol for the Admission of Children to Psychiatric Treatment Facilities

PSYCHIATRIST

b) A licensed physician and a "Qualified Psychiatrist", by reason of having completed successfully an Approved Residency Program in General Psychiatry", who is qualified by both documented experience and documented training to practice with both those of the patient's age and with the families of this age patient; such training and experience to assure competence to acquire, complete and integrate data including a comprehensive evaluation, formulation, differential diagnosis with DSM Axis, treatment goals, treatment plans, discharge planning and school consultation and collaboration.

personally by the admitting child psychiatrist or on the basis of an evaluation

at the time of admission by the admitting child psychiatrist using the findings

of an appropriate clinician. In every case the admitting decision must be

confirmed within 24 hours on the basis of a personal examination by a child

psychiatrist. If a decision is made to admit the child, the child's psychiatrist

in cooperation with he appropriate clinician arranges for a hospital bed and has

the parents accompany the child into the hospital to complete the Consent for

Treatment Form. Prior to having the parents' consent to the child's treatment,

the appropriate clinician talks with the parent and addresses the following

questions for that parent:

a) Why is psychiatric inpatient treatment being recommended for our child and how will it help?

b) What are the other treatment alternatives and how do they compare?

c) Is our child being admitted to the hospital by a child and adolescent psychiatrist?

d) What does the hospital's treatment program include and how will our child keep up with school work?

e) What are the responsibilities of the child and adolescent psychiatrist and other people on the treatment team?

f) How long will our child be in the hospital, and how will we pay for these services?

g) What will happen if we can no longer afford to keep our child in this facility and inpatient treatment is still needed?

h) How will we as parents be involved in our child's hospitalization, including the decision for discharge and aftercare treatment?

i) Is this hospital approved by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations as a treatment facility for youngsters of our child's age, or will my child be in a specialized unit or in a program accredited for treatment of children and adolescents?

j) How will the decision be made to discharge our child from the hospital?

k) When our child is discharged, what are the plans for follow-up treatment?

These questions are from the "American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry" recommendations. If the child or adolescent is being admitted through involuntary commitment procedures and/or because of immediate danger, these questions may not be appropriately addressed until the admission procedure is completed.

 

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