Patient and staff injuries that are caused by another patient are on the rise. Statistical data provided on the mental health clinic environment is scarce.  Anecdotally, there are many reasons for the type of violence that occurs all too regularly and is largely due to the instability of a patient and their needs. Mentally ill individuals can present in an unpredictable manner especially if the person has not been receiving treatment/medication.  In 2019, among the 51.5 million adults with AMI (Any Mental Illness), 23.0 million (44.8%) received mental health services in the past year. Leaving us to question, what about the more than 55% of those who did not receive services.

Research and studies address the rate of violence, that is assaults, for in-patient facilities but seemingly overlook the rate at out-patient clinics that address treatment at a community-based level. That is alarming based on the fact that both physical and security support constraints are not a part of the daily operation of most community-based clinics.

It is assumed that should an incident occur; the staff will call 911 for the necessary support to resolve the issue. By the time the call is made, and response occurs, it may be too late. The situation may have escalated to a dangerous level possibly injuring one or many innocent patients and staff.

So, what can be done to provide every individual at the clinic with an immediate response? Emergency alert systems are beneficial, and this is not meant to diminish the importance of law enforcement support when the situation has been assessed by the professional staff on site. By providing staff with the ability to notify others that there is a situation that is escalating or in some cases that an assault has occurred.

Employees who provide services at a mental health clinic, at every level, need to feel secure in the work environment. Mental health clinics must have an emergency alert system that does not disrupt the daily operation or the schedule of the facility.

RedDot alert is an emergency alert system that is non-intrusive, silent and will instantly notify only the staff that you designate that there is a situation in progress. RedDot may be configured to meet the needs of your specific mental health clinic. RedDot was designed to prevent situations from escalating as well as providing an ability for staff intervention prior to an assault or violence occurring.

The facility determines how the notification process should work to meet the needs of your staff, patients, and the local community. It allows you to manage a situation internally and avoid unnecessary scrutiny. If you choose, RedDot can be configured to go directly to local police or designated responders. You and your agency will determine what works best for you. 

The leadership team at your clinic can create customizable messages and protocols, add GPS (Global Positioning System) to lock in and pin-point specific locations and send instant notifications to response personnel via email, text, or phone call.

With all of the built-in possibilities, RedDot will give comfort to your staff while not allowing patients and others to be unnecessarily disrupted.

The RedDot emergency alert system is the future of emergency digital response. It is a product that will assure staff, patients, and the local community that their safety is important to the successful operation of mental health clinic.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml