Multidisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Safety and Care for Pediatric Behavioral Health Patients in Acute Medical Settings.

Emergency department visits by pediatric behavioral health patients are increasing, increasing the complexity of care. This article describes initiatives at 3 academic medical centers using multidisciplinary teams, including medical, child life, and security staff, to help decrease anxiety and increase patient comfort. Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and agitation management simulations increase staff preparedness for working with agitated and emotionally dysregulated patients. Training security personnel and establishing a behavioral health response team ensures that staff members with expertise in managing agitation support the medical teams and patients throughout the hospital.