The new EmPATH unit at Fairview Southdale is the first of its kind in the state of Minnesota. The name stands for Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment & Healing, and as the acronym implies, the unit is modeled after an empathetic rather than coercive care model. In this setting, each person receives a nursing assessment and full evaluation by both mental health and psychiatry providers. Together with the patient and any available family members, the care team works to address the crisis by trying new coping techniques, starting or adjusting medication, engaging in skills-based therapeutic interventions, and developing a plan. People typically spend 12 to 48 hours in the EmPATH service. As patients prepare to leave the EmPATH, they are equipped with a clearly defined care plan, next steps, and connections to follow-up resources and programs. They also have a safety plan they can use the next time a triggering event occurs.
The new Fairview Southdale Hospital unit contains one Level 3 risk space (a central milieu) and eight Level 4 risk spaces including sensory rooms, consult rooms, intake rooms, and patient toilet rooms. The design and construction of each of the rooms in the unit follows strict, evidence-based behavioral considerations designed to ensure patient and staff safety.
