Health promotion

Health Promotion and the Involuntary Emergency Commitment Process

STATE: _____________________

Health promotion is important in helping patients stay in the community and participate in their care. However, there are times when stress and other factors become too overwhelming for the patient and a higher level of care is required to promote safety and wellness for the patient. This is where the involuntary emergency commitment process may be helpful.

It is important to understand the IEA process in your state. When you are in a crisis situation, you may have to respond quickly to the patient’s need for safety and you will not have time to look up the process. The purpose of this assignment is for you to investigate the process, understand how to initiate the process, and understand the consequences of involuntary commitment in your state.

Please respond to the items below.

1. What are the key components to promoting good mental health in individuals, families, and communities?  As you think about these key components, address the issue from  one of the three viewpoints below.  Include evidence-based support and guidance in your response.

· If you are an FNP currently providing full-spectrum primary care across the lifespan how do you feel your practice will change as a PMHNP in regards to assuring adequate health promotion, preventive medicine, health protection, anticipatory guidance, counseling, and disease management working with those with mental health issues including those who are severely mentally ill, pregnancy, pediatrics, geriatrics, adults and those with substance abuse issues? What do you envision the barriers to preventive medicine will be and how could you work to enhance primary care/preventive medicine services for your patient population?

· If you are a WHNP, CNM, APN, GNP, or PNP who has predominantly practiced within one specialty area how do you envision integrating full-spectrum care to both men and women providing adequate health promotion, preventive medicine, health protection, anticipatory guidance, counseling and disease management working with those with mental health issues including those who are severely mentally ill, pregnancy, pediatrics, geriatrics, adults, and those with substance abuse issues? What do you envision the barriers to preventive medicine will be and how could you work to enhance primary care/preventive medicine services for your patient population?

· If you are an RN who is not in an advanced practice role, why do you think it is important for a PMHNP to have an eye on health promotion, preventive medicine, health protection, anticipatory guidance, counseling & disease management of mental health issues as well as physical health needs.   How do you feel you could stay up to date with those areas of primary care when your primary focus is psychiatry? 

2. Consider now the patient who requires supportive care for a mental health crisis. You must implement the IEA process to maintain safety. Please respond to these questions related to that process.

· What types of situations would necessitate the initiation of the involuntary emergency admission process?

· How does the process begin? Who can initiate the process? What happens to the patient once the process is initiated?

· After the “hold”, who completes the evaluation for the commitment? How long can the patient be held before the patient must be released or committed?

· Identify a culture other than your own and discuss the implications of receiving a mental health diagnosis as well as being admitted to a psychiatric facility based on their cultural view of mental health/mental illness. 

· What are the resources for follow-up after the patient has been released? Give an example of how you would implement a health promotion plan for the patient who returns to the community. How can the TeamSTEPPS model help maintain health in the community?

· What are your thoughts on the IEA process in your state? Do you think it is reasonable, necessary, and accessible?