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Behavioral Health Services
Behavioral Health Services

Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS)

Program description

Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS) is the only 24-hour locked psychiatric emergency room, which provides emergency psychiatric care to residents of County of Santa Clara. Nearly all our patients are on involuntary psychiatric holds (5150’s). Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) operates a walk-in crisis clinic, with a psychiatrist on duty, seven days a week for those seeking voluntary services.

What is the process once in EPS? 

Every patient is assigned to a psychiatric registered nurse and a psychiatrist at all times. The psychiatrist will complete an evaluation, make a diagnosis and determine a plan of care for each patient. Care plans may include:

  • Crisis intervention and release back into the community with follow-up services as appropriate, either behavioral health or substance use disorder
  • Medication and stabilization, with release from EPS back to the community

or

  • Medication and subsequent hospitalization for further stabilization

Evaluation and determination of a discharge plan will be as prompt as possible within a 24 hour period. Sometimes a special disposition or a wait for a hospital bed will result in a stay longer than 24 hours.

Patients who are hospitalized after discharge?

For those hospitalized, many are admitted to Barbara Arons Pavilion (BAP) Acute Psychiatric Hospital, County of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s inpatient unit. Because so many patients require hospitalization and we cannot house everyone, EPS has a broad network of contacts with other mental health treatment facilities.

If the patient gives consent, the nurse will let a designated friend or family know where the hospitalization will occur. The patient has the right to refuse this release of information, and EPS is bound to honor this. For conserved patients or minors, EPS will always notify the guardian of the release.

Can you visit a patient at EPS?

Visiting is allowed at EPS, however visits must be pre-scheduled, and can be restricted. If the doctor does not feel a visit will be beneficial for the patient’s treatment, it may be prohibited. All visits must be monitored by nursing staff, with provision for privacy.