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Biomedical subjects

K D Gaver

Publications and source records attributed to K D Gaver.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

The NAPPH (National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals) critical indicator project.

The National Association of Private Psychiatric Hospitals (NAPPH) initiated the Critical Indicator Project in 1986 to develop measures of quality and other important clinical aspects of inpatient psychiatric treatment. The tools used to collect data have undergone extensive refinements, and the data collected have been analyzed by researchers and clinicians. After careful review, in January 1990 the NAPPH Board of Trustees endorsed full implementation of the Critical Indicator Project in all member hospitals. This paper describes the project and its current major implications.

Data Collection↗

After commissioner, what?

One hundred nine psychiatrists who had been commissioners of state departments of mental health answered a questionnaire about their experiences after being commissioners. Most of these former commissioners got jobs they wanted after leaving the post. Those who experienced "decompression" adjustment difficulties tended to be less satisfied with subsequent jobs and were willing to serve again as commissioner. An important factor in decompression was a sense of loss and depression over having to abandon important unfinished work. The authors speculate that the large-scale opportunities for challenge and mastery characteristic of the job of commissioner are rarely matched in subsequent jobs.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Life at the State summit: views and experiences of 18 psychiatric leaders.

In 1981 the American Psychiatric Association appointed an ad hoc committee to investigate the decline of psychiatrist leadership of public mental health programs. As part of the committee's research, the 18 psychiatrists who were then state commissioners or directors of mental health were surveyed on how they got their jobs and on their backgrounds, present responsibilities, support systems, and future plans. The results of the survey are discussed and presented in tabular format. The psychiatrists surveyed recommended that future commissioners have backgrounds similar to their own, which consisted of a great deal of previous on-the-job experience in mental health administration but little formal training or education in administration; none of the commissioners had obtained APA certification in administrative psychiatry. The commissioners felt they received the most support in their work from their subordinates; among the major groups listed as providing support, APA ranked lowest. The authors discuss the implications of the survey findings as well as issues surrounding the administration of public mental health programs by psychiatrists.

Administrative Personnel↗

A guide through the accreditation maze.

Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) carries important financial implications and serves as a testimony to the quality of patient care provided by a hospital or a program. The author briefly reviews changes in the JCAH standards as they apply to psychiatric, alcoholism, and drug abuse programs. He also recommends ways to become familiar with the standards, to prepare for survey by the JCAH, and to organize the staff to function effectively at the time of survey.

Accreditation↗

Perspectives on accountability in mental health and retardation services.

Public mental health and mental retardation agencies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their accountability in fiscal, legal, program, and other areas. The author discusses some of the problems and issures in pinpointing accountability and identifies eight areas of accountability--to patients, to program and management staff, to a chief executive, to a legislative body, to the public, to one's profession, and to one's self. He describes ways in which accountability can be demonstrated and emphasizes that, for mental health professionals, the overriding issue in accountability must be the provision of high-quality care and treatment for the mentally ill and mentally retarded.

Behavior Therapy↗