Excerpt: “The OIG’s Mental Health Inspection Program (MHIP) evaluates Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA’s) continuum of mental healthcare services. This inspection focused on inpatient care delivered at the VA Philadelphia Healthcare System (facility) in Pennsylvania. The facility met some VHA requirements for the inpatient mental health unit, such as completion of twice-yearly environment of care inspections, and had some aspects of a recovery-oriented environment. However, not all areas met VHA standards for a safe, hopeful, and healing setting. Facility leaders did not establish written processes for staff to accompany veterans on outdoor breaks. The facility did not have an established mental health executive committee for local oversight or a plan for continued transformation to recovery-oriented services. Additionally, inpatient staff did not offer the required daily hours of interdisciplinary programming. Facility leaders did not have formal written guidance to monitor and ensure compliance with state involuntary commitment laws. Not all electronic health records (EHRs) reviewed included documentation of a treatment plan. Most EHRs did not have evidence of required discussions with veterans on the risks and benefits of prescribed medications. Some EHRs did not have evidence of timely suicide risk screenings. Most reviewed safety plans did not address ways to make the environment safer from potentially lethal means beyond access to firearms and opioids. Inpatient unit clinical staff were compliant with suicide prevention trainings, but nonclinical staff did not consistently complete the required training.”
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