The PES Renovation - Providing a more suitable space for children and adolescents in crisis
The Harris Center Psychiatric Emergency Service ( PES ) located at the NeuroPsychiatric Center ( NPC ) is one of the major public mental health emergency programs in Harris County . Started in 1999 , services are available 24 hours per day , 7 days per week to anyone in Harris County experiencing some type of mental health crisis .
“ NPC is in many ways the front door of our crisis services , and for many people the front door into the professional services offered through and by The Harris Center ,” said Steven B . Schnee , Ph . D ., Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center .
What may surprise people about the PES is that it regularly sees children and adolescents in need of help come through its doors . In fact , 760 children and adolescents were served by the PES in Fiscal Year 2016 alone .
Just like with adults , children and adolescents who arrive at the PES receive an assessment by licensed clinicians . Through the assessment , the staff is able to determine what the individual needs at that moment , whether it be seeing a doctor , transferring to an in-patient facility or receiving recommendations for treatment in the community . The staff works with the individual to “ hopefully stabilize them so they can move back into their homes and back into the community ,” said Daryl K .
Knox , M . D ., Chief Medical Officer for The Harris Center .
“ Sometimes the kids can be seen and we can just get them an outpatient appointment , or sometimes they may need some intensive services like one of our hospital beds or residential space . So that determination is made during that assessment as well ,” Dr . Knox added .
“ We are a crisis center so most of our kids come here when the child is in a crisis ,” said Vinay Kapoor , M . D ., Medical Director for the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program ( CPEP ). “ More often when they come here , there is some risk of harm to self or others .”
The Harris Center recently renovated its child and adolescent space at the PES , making it a safer , interactive and dedicated space for its youngest consumers . The renovated space includes a quiet room with clouds painted on the ceiling , video games and other age-appropriate activities .
Barbara Dawson , M . Ed ., the former Deputy Director for the CPEP Division who helped oversee the renovation , said that the intention of the PES staff is that this upgrade “ provides a hopeful and recovery-oriented space for children , adolescents and their family members if they have them with them .”
The newly updated space physically has room for up to 6 children and / or adolescents at a time , but current funding limitations for staffing mean that the PES may only take 3-4 children and / or adolescents at any given time . The goal is that additional funding for staff may be found so that the PES may see more children and adolescents in need of its services in the future .
While the PES is dedicated to seeing those experiencing a mental health crisis , The Harris Center has additional programs for children and adolescents who are not in an immediate crisis but who are struggling with symptoms of mental illness .
“ I think it ’ s important for families and the public just to realize in general , when things start with their children , it ’ s best to call and
Employee Spotlight : Joel L . Carr , Ph . D . - Helping to improve quality
Watch a video with more photos via this link : bit . ly / NPCvid
try to get help before it gets to a crisis . Sometimes these things can come on suddenly , but with children we know sometimes there are early warning signs that problems are going on . They can start having trouble in school , where they have never had trouble in school before , they can become withdrawn , and their behavior can change . And so at the earliest sign , parents should call , and they can always call our line and get some information on where to go before it results in a crisis ,” Dr . Knox said .
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis may call The Harris Center ’ s 24-hour Crisis Line at 713-970-7000 , option 1 . Anyone interested in receiving information on programs and services provided by The Harris Center may call 713-970-7000 , option 2 .
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Joel L . Carr , Ph . D ., likes data . “ I appreciate data because it helps us pursue objectivity and is more useful than opinion ,” Dr . Carr said .
As the Director of Quality Improvement for The Harris Center , data is at the core of Dr . Carr ’ s work . Created in 2016 , the Quality Improvement Department aims to evaluate the quality , efficiency and effectiveness of The Harris Center ’ s clinical services and business functions in order
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to identify issues and develop solutions to provide a higher standard of care to consumers as well as a better collaborative experience to community partners and stakeholders .
In order to facilitate this , Dr . Carr and his team are developing The Harris Center ’ s first-ever Annual Quality Improvement Plan . The plan , which is expected to be finalized by September 2017 , will provide more effective and consistent methods for evaluating The Harris Center ’ s work using local , state and national benchmarks related to quality . “ This will tell us where we need to improve ,” Dr . Carr said .
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While this may seem like an arduous task , Dr . Carr is more than up for the challenge . A veteran of the United States Navy , he is somewhat of an overachiever . His list of degrees is impressive : a bachelor of arts in sociology , a master of social work , a postmaster |
’ s certificate in industrial / organizational psychology , a doctorate in social psychology and a second doctorate in educational psychology . His experiences working as a clinician , an academic and a quality assurance manager also add to his unique ability to lead The Harris Center ’ s quality improvement efforts .
However , what makes Dr . Carr the ideal person for this position is not just his impressive list of degrees or his professional experience . “ Dr . Carr is very qualified for this position because of his academic credentials , direct patient care experience and expertise in statistics and behavioral measurement . He also has great communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others , and those are key for the person in this position ,” said Daryl K . Knox , M . D ., Chief Medical Officer for The Harris Center and Dr . Carr ’ s direct supervisor .
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Dr . Carr is currently heading up 10 quality improvement projects at The Harris Center , and he is also advising on several more initiatives within the Agency .
Why does he do this work ? According to Dr . Carr , this position allows him to serve the community by doing the things he most enjoys . These include conducting research , teaching and , most importantly , serving clients .
“ Here I serve more people in a proactive way . I get to assess and diagnose organizational processes in order to improve the way we deliver services to consumers and how we support employees .” Dr . Carr said . “ This , in turn , allows The Harris Center to better serve some of the most vulnerable people who live in our community .”
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