Evaluating crisis intervention services for youth within an emergency department : a view from within

An innovative crisis intervention programme was created at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Canada in order to provide emergency assessments for youth presenting with mental health crises. The current investigation presents an overview of the programme and examines the emergency staff's perception and satisfaction with it. Eighty-seven emergency department medical staff completed a survey. Overall, emergency department staff place high value on having access to emergency mental health services, are pleased with the quality of service and appreciate that the crisis intervention worker's presence allows them to spend more time with other patients.