The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) has announced that it will continue to provide Psychiatric Mobile Response Team (PMRT) response services to non-designated hospital emergency rooms for patients requiring a mental health consultation for purposes of 5150/5585 determination, based upon DMH’s currently available resources.

DMH had originally proposed to eliminate PMRT services as of July 1. Based upon a series of meetings HASC’s hospital workgroup held with DMH, DMH has reversed its decision.

Request for service to ERs will be considered after the following criteria are satisfied:

• Patient is medically cleared
• Patient is not under the influence and is able to be interviewed 
• Patient is medically stable for transport
• Hospital staff have completed a psychosocial assessment and faxed the information to DMH ACCESS/PMRT for review

While the same PMRT services are being provided, HASC and DMH will continue to meet to identify solutions that address the issues of timely response as well as access to outpatient services. This can include tele mental health services as well as linking hospitals to mental health navigators whose role is to link patients being discharged to outpatient services, thereby helping to reduce unnecessary hospital readmissions.