The Behavioral Response Team: building a safer hospital.

The increased number of be- havioral health patients in our hospitals whose needs are fre- quently met by caregivers without sufficient behavioral healthcare experience or training, has made it difficult to manage the disruptive be- haviors of seriously ill behav- ioral health patients. How do we meet the need, stay within a reasonable budget, and in- crease safety and confidence in our caregivers? The answer according to the author, is the Behavioral Response team (BRT). In this article, he de- scribes how to develop the team, the roles of its members, and how it responds to a crisis situation.