Psychiatric Partnering Program

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Psychiatric Partnering program has successfully increased client access to behavioral health services and client choice, and decreased wait times for behavioral health care by connecting patients with fourth-year psychiatry residents. Through the program, clients are provided the option of scheduling an appointment with their regular psychiatrist, which could be weeks away, or scheduling with a resident, often within the same week. Staff psychiatrists may also direct psychiatry residents to see clients who need a prescription refill and to grant their refill request (within policy guidelines). This increases medication oversight and allows for client medication needs to be met in a timely manner, reducing decompensation. In addition, the Psychiatric Partnering program has provided DBH’s fourth-year residents with increased outpatient interaction and positive clinic experiences, resulting in several residents joining DBH as a staff psychiatrist upon completion of their residency.