Transformation to a recovery-oriented model of care on a veterans administration inpatient unit.

OBJECTIVES: Recovery-oriented care is among the highest treatment priorities for the Veteran Health Administration, which has endorsed organizational change of mental health care to reflect recovery values. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether recovery interventions would yield positive outcomes when delivered on in inpatient psychiatry.

METHOD: Recovery interventions on the unit included recovery-focused interdisciplinary team meetings, opportunities for stakeholder feedback, recovery staff education, increased group programming, peer support, and changes to treatment planning to include increased Veteran engagement and responsibility. Participants included 352 patients and 27 staff. Outcomes were number of restraints/seclusions used, 30-day readmission rates, and staff satisfaction.

RESULTS: Our results showed an overall decrease in restraint/seclusion use by over 50% and an increase in staff satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our results suggest that implementing a recovery-oriented model of care in an acute psychiatric inpatient unit may have significant benefits for both staff and patients. (PsycINFO Database Record