Level-of-Care Decision Making in Behavioral Health Services: The LOCUS and the CALOCUS

Introduction by the column editor: An essential ingredient in the matrix of factors required to achieve best practices is a sound, evidenced-based decision support system that ensures fair—and replicable—assignment of a patient to the appropriate level of care. The authors of this month’s Best Practices column report on an impressive effort on behalf of the American Association of Community Psychiatry to design such a decision support tool. The Level of Care Utilization System for Psychiatric and Addiction Services (LOCUS) and the children’s LOCUS (CALOCUS) will make it possible to take the next step toward defining what best practices really are.