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Veterans Mobile Evaluation Team (VMET)

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The VMET program assists in responding to calls involving local law enforcement interactions with Veterans in crisis. The team includes a VA mental health clinician and VA police officer and is a first of its kind in the VA to help reduce the number of Veteran suicides and increase participation in mental health treatment. All Veterans have access to follow up care and wrap around services.

This innovation is replicating across multiple facilities as its impact continues to be validated. See more replicating innovations.

Adoptions:

9 successful, 1 in-progress, 2 unsuccessful

Awards and Recognition:

Diffusion of Excellence Rising Award , Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice, VHA Shark Tank Winner

Partners:

Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Rural Health, VHA Innovators Network

Tags:

Access to Care Continuity of Care Emergency Care High Reliability Mental Health Psychiatry Suicide Prevention
Contact Team

Overview

Problem

The majority of Veterans who committed suicide were not receiving services at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital per SAMHSA. VMET responds to calls assisting local law enforcement and the Veteran Crisis Hotline with Veterans in mental health crisis. VMET’s mission is to help reduce the number of Veteran’s suicide and increase participation in ... See more

Videos

VA 75th Anniversary- Veterans Mobile Evaluation Team

Solution

VMET is able to respond to the Veteran in the community. VMET details a new approach for outreach to Veterans who demonstrate a pattern of behavior that reflects increased risk for suicide without intervention. We have found that following up on Veterans who are at critical risk and who have missed multiple mental health appointments, can reduce recidivism ... See more

Results

As a result of implementation of our program we have seen a reduction in recidivism rates. Additionally, we have seen a reduction in use of force involving our officers. There has been a reduction in calls for disturbances resulting from mental health. This program has allowed us to strengthen community law enforcement partnerships. Which brought new Vetera ... See more

Links

Metrics

  • The Long Beach and Fresno VAs have responded to 3,540 calls, saved 119 Veterans that were at imminent risk, and placed only 42 psychiatric holds.

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

AL: Birmingham VA Medical Center (Birmingham, Alabama) CA: Fresno VA Medical Center (Fresno) CA: Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach)
  • Started adoption on 09/2018, ended on 09/2019.
CA: West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (West Los Angeles) IL: Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Chicago, Illinois) NV: North Las Vegas VA Medical Center (North Las Vegas) OH: Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Started adoption on 01/2023.
OK: Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
  • Started adoption on 04/2022.
OK: Oklahoma City VA Medical Center (Oklahoma City)

FL: Gainesville 1 VA Clinic (Gainesville 1)
  • Started adoption on 08/2023.

NH: Manchester VA Medical Center (Manchester)
  • Unable to obtain necessary resources
TX: Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Houston)
  • Unable to obtain necessary resources

Multimedia

Images

This is an image of a suicidal Veteran who wanted to jump after being frustrated about his VA benefits. Through VMET, we were able to de-escalate and bring the veteran to safety. He was brought back to VA for VA care.

This is a call for service to a Veteran who was Gravely disabled. With joint effort of local law enforcement, we were able to place the veteran in psychiatric care and prevent danger to the veteran, his family and community providers. He was ultimately bought to VA for mental health treatment and substance abuse and housing services.

This is a photo where our VMET Clinician was assessing a Veteran who had called the White House and made threats. VMET was dispatched to the call, where over a 3 day period we engaged with the veteran and ultimately placed him on a psychiatric hold.

Videos

This is an interview about VMET and published story

Implementation

Timeline

  • 0-3 months
    Build relationship with community Partners
  • 0-3 months
    Establish and update SOP for facility
  • 1 month
    Identify approriate staff
  • 0-3
    Train VA staff on VMET protocols
  • 0-3 months
    Attend critical and unique training
  • Two weeks
    Social Worker will learn and identify police tactics
  • Ongoing
    Train internal & external partners/providers/law enforcement

Departments

  • Mental health care
  • Social work

Core Resources

Resource type Resource description
PEOPLE
  • VMET Police Officer (GS9-11)/VMET Mental Health Clinician (GS12) full time FTE
PROCESSES
  • 8 hours of Mental Health Awareness training and 32 hours of Crisis Intervention, as well as 40 hours FBI Crisis Negotiation training (if available) in their first year, with 16 additional hours of mental health training courses annually.
TOOLS
  • Vehicle

Links

Risks and mitigations

Risk Mitigation
Increased safety to staff and veterans Ongoing continued risk assesment and training
Inneffective or undertrained staff Identify vet-centric staff
Lack of support and collaboration We have to show we are worthy partners

Contact

Comment

Comments and replies are disabled for retired innovations and non-VA users.

VA User (Licensed Practical Nurse) posted

I love this practice!!!

VA User (Social Worker) Innovation owner deleted

This comment has been deleted.

Email

Email with questions about this innovation.

About

Origin story

VMET is a proactive utilization of VA Police officers in conjunction with Mental Health Clinicians to respond to Veterans experiencing mental health crises and those Veterans expressing a danger to self, others, and inability to care for themselves. By pairing a social worker with police, the engagement process could potentially decrease the Veteran’s anxiet ... VMET is a proactive utilization of VA Police officers in conjunction with Mental Health Clinicians to respond to Veterans experiencing mental health crises and those Veterans expressing a danger to self, others, and inability to care for themselves. By pairing a social worker with police, the engagement process could potentially decrease the Veteran’s anxiety and barriers, providing an opportunity for Veterans to receive the appropriate treatment unique to their needs. VMET reduces the chances of Veterans ending up in jail or at a local hospital where continuity of care is extremely difficult. This is the first program of its kind.

Original team

Shannon Teague, LCSW/VMET Clinician

VMET Social Worker

Tyrone Anderson, VMET police officer

VMET Police Officer

Jeffrey Hayter

Police Chief

Ann Costa

Supervisory Social Work

Walt Dannenberg

Director Tibor Rubin VA

Search tags

Access to Care Continuity of Care Emergency Care High Reliability Mental Health Psychiatry Suicide Prevention