Behavioral Health Patient Safety Guidelines

UPMC Health Plan monitors member safety in the area of behavioral health through the reporting of significant member incidents.

Behavioral health practitioners are expected to report incidents that involve a significant compromise to a member's health and/or well being during a course of treatment. Such incidents include suicides, severe suicide attempts during treatment, serious physical or sexual assaults, member injury at a provider's office or facility, severe side effects from medications or other types of treatment, loss of life during treatment, and other situations.

Western Behavioral Health practitioners should follow the instructions in their provider manual for reporting such incidents. Western Behavioral Health promptly reviews the details of each reported incident to determine the need for intervention and follow-up.

The Health Plan reviews summaries of all member incidents to monitor trends and to develop any necessary provider training or communication to the Western Behavioral Health network.

Network providers are also expected to comply with all applicable state and federal child abuse and other reporting laws. It is the responsibility of each provider to follow professional and legal reporting requirements.