Explore a progressive strategy that ameliorates the challenges of accessing care for patients with substance use and mental health disorders in Emergency Departments (EDs). Through a partnership with Saint Barnabas Hospital and Health First, a Managed Care Plan, Vocational Instruction Project (VIP) Community Services, Inc. developed an integration model where frontline health care personnel are physically embedded in emergency settings to facilitate proactive interventions for patients with behavioral health concerns. 

This session explores how community health and peer workers collaborated in EDs to prevent crises, enhance overall patient outcomes and contribute to the efficient utilization of resources. 
Learn how this approach allows for timely assessment of patients' connections to services, including primary and behavioral care, social supports, housing and transportation, and expedites the establishment of these connections before ED discharge. 

You Will Learn About:

VIPs Integration Model Imperatives

• Mitigating avoidable ED use with strategies that improve patient care and reduce health care cost
• Augmenting continuity in care delivery so patients receive consistent and coordinated care
• Alleviating impediments to essential behavioral health services to promote better outcomes