Client pick-up/transport ideas

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GoPokes

Psychologist
10+ Year Member
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Hi everyone,

At my internship, for high risk students, we have university police transport them to a crisis unit to be evaluated as to whether or not to hospitalize them. Problem is, if they choose not to keep the student/after the student's stay in the hospital, they have to find some way back to campus to their car. Calling parents/friends is usually the method of their return, which isn't ideal. Some students don't have family in town, some don't have a car, and some can't afford Uber/ride-share services.

So, have any of you that have worked in a similar system have any ideas as to setting up some sort of ride service for students to get back to campus? I'm thinking of trying to write a grant, but was curious of others' ideas.


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From my perspective as someone at the hospital who does the evaluation, it is our job to ensure that a reasonable transportation plan is in place before releasing the patient. Part of my assessment is whether or not the patient can articulate and manage a coherent and sound plan for discharge. In my mind, once you have sent the patient to the hospital your duty of care has been met.
 
For my sexual assault/domestic violence volunteer program, we have a car service. We give them our program's name and they take us to and from intercity hospitals (all 5 boroughs of Manhattan if necessary, but usually confined to one general area), at all hours of the day and night. There is never an exchange of cash/credit, no uber. This is safe and secure transportation.

The volunteer program is respected in the area, and I believe well-funded outside of it's AMC affiliate, but I don't know funding logistics b/c it is also provides services, outside of the volunteer organization.

http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-c...ssault-and-violence-intervention-program-savi
 
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Thanks everyone for your responses so far. Maybe it would be best for me to contact the hospital the crisis unit is housed in to see if they offer something like this? I asked an officer in our campus police before he transported a client of mine if he knew how they were supposed to get back to the university, and he candidly replied "well, we aren't a taxi service."

@smalltownpsych I (and my supervisors) agree that our duty of care has been met once we've transported them, but I would like to set something up where they can have a ride back to their cars at the university. It just doesn't sit well with me for some reason that our clients have to call friends/families to pick them up from a crisis unit/hospital or pay for a ride somehow.

@PSYDR I like the idea of a cab voucher a lot.. perhaps something that could be funded by our center or university.
 
We do use cab vouchers when necessary, but I work with the patient with on problem solving first. They are often suicidal because they see no way out and don't think anyone cares. Discharge planning is part of the therapeutic and evaluative process. If the hospital is just dumping them that is a problem and since that part is out of your hands, then I could see why you want to help them out. Nevertheless the people who are being discharged are finding their way back so they are demonstrating a degree of resourcefulness. Maybe the doc at the hospital knows that discharge and acessing resources is more likely to mitigate risk than admitting them which doesn't appear to lower actual risk.

Dealing with patients who are suicidal is an excellent topic as it touches on so many aspects of our profession. I have been involved in this field from many angles (outpatient, CMH, testifying, inpatient, emergent dapqrtment) and am always learning and questioning and evaluating both the systems and myself.
 
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