THE BEHAVIORAL EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TEAM: INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL CARE ON INPATIENT MEDICINE

The Behavioral Education and Support Team (BEST) was developed at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center to address complex patients on acute medical inpatient units and expand into preventive services upon discharge and follow up. BEST is an embedded behavioral health team: advance practice nurse, psychiatric nurse, psychologist, geriatric psychiatrist and occupational therapist. The program is distinguished from an emergency behavioral intervention team and psychiatric consultation-liaison services. Outcome metrics include decreasing length of hospital stay, behavioral altercations, readmissions, staff injuries and emergency behavioral interventions. Behavioral incidents in acute care have decreased due to BEST education of staff, dissemination of behavioral plans and increased collaboration with medical teams. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requested the program be written up as a best practice. BEST program development, individual staff roles, collaboration, outcome data and individual case studies will be discussed.