PEAK: Suicide is part of the Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK) series from the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Innovation & Improvement Center. It provides evidence-based tools to help emergency and EMS clinicians recognize, assess, and manage suicidal risk in children and adolescents. The kit includes clinical guidelines, screening and assessment algorithms, training videos, infographics, and family education resources. Its goal is to improve early identification, safe care, and coordinated follow-up for youth experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors in emergency settings.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians support advocacy for increased mental health resources, including improved pediatric mental health tools for the emergency department, increased mental health insurance coverage, and adequate reimbursement at all levels; acknowledgment of the importance of the child’s medical home; and promotion of education and research for mental health emergencies.
The report also addresses special issues related to mental illness in the ED, such as minority populations, children with special health care needs, and children’s mental health during and after disasters and trauma.
This clinical report provides an overview of pediatric OUs, including the definitions and operating characteristics of different types of OUs, quality considerations and coding for observation services, and the effect of OUs on inpatient hospital utilization.
Access resources and online training from SAMHSA and other agencies and organizations.
The number of children seeking care for a mental health crisis in an emergency department is on the rise. With often limited mental health services, hospitals in rural areas bear an excessive burden.
That’s why HRSA created a new toolkit.
It is well documented that many behavioral health patients in the emergency department (ED) waiting to be admitted have extended lengths of stay, sometimes days or even weeks due to a lack of available beds either within the facility or at an external facility. In such cases, emergency nurses can ensure safety and structure for this patient population by providing these patients with a daily routine.
To address the ongoing state of emergency in children’s mental health (specifically acute suicidality), the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center launched the Emergency Department (ED) Screening and Treatment Options for Pediatric (STOP) Suicide Quality Improvement (QI) Collaborative. You can view recordings and resources from the collaborative.
