A complaint by an advocacy group led to an investigation finding fault in how the Montana State Hospital responded to emergencies, and now the facility has changed its policies for handling future events, according to an article on the Independent Record website.
Late last year, the unit of healthcare facility that handles people committed through the criminal system locked down all of its patients during what a state licensing bureau called a "perceived 'emergency situation.'"
The Licensure Bureau found that the lockdown was "initiated for the convenience of staff. " According to management, additional staff were not available and current staff were exhausted. The bureau found that the facility was short-staffed for several shifts
Under the new policy, staff must work to prevent situations that lead to patient-caused, facility-wide emergencies. If their efforts are not successful, a licensed independent professional must confirm there's an emergency and give verbal authorization for a lockdown.
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