For Kelly Kjelstrom, plugging the gaps in mental health care can mean something as simple as a late-night taco and a friendly chat with a patient.
Kjelstrom, 45, is a community paramedic in Modesto, California. Part of his job is to help psychiatric patients avoid the emergency room, where they can get “boarded” for days, until they are released or a bed opens up at an inpatient facility.
When a 911 call involves a potential mental health crisis, specially trained paramedics like Kjelstrom are dispatched to identify problems, de-escalate the situation and intervene.
After doing a physical assessment, they talk to the patient to figure out what the issue is, also asking about a patient’s mental health history, drug use and insurance status. They use that information and their knowledge of resources available to plan the next steps for the patient — maybe it’s a hospital or a psych facility, maybe it’s outpatient care.
For the full article by By Shefali Luthra and Ana B. Ibarra go HERE
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