Be the change: ensuring an effective response to all in psychiatric emergency equal to medical care
Behavioural health is an inclusive term that covers the emotions, behaviours and biology relating to a person’s mental wellbeing, their ability to function in everyday life and their concept of self. It includes mental health, substance misuse and the physical consequences that result.
This report sets out ten recommendations from a joint international summit on urgent and emergency behavioural healthcare, hosted by NHSCC and RI International. Summit attendees included clinical and non-clinical experts, with experience that included government and law enforcement, and people with lived expertise as a recipient of care or a family member.
The report expands on some of the evidence and drivers for the changes required. It also seeks to identify good practice in systems around the world that can be adapted and adopted in other regions. The status quo needs to be disrupted with a focus on saying ‘yes’ at times of behavioural health crisis.
