Mental health is an essential element of overall health, and the impact of untreated or under-treated mental illness is vast and increasingly documented. Board Certified PAs have the broad, generalist knowledge; prescriptive authority; and commitment to continuous professional development to screen, manage, coordinate, and refer for patient mental health care and substance use disorder needs. PAs and additional interprofessional care team members can adapt to fill this system gap created by growing demand for services coupled with limited access and insufficient workforce supply. By applying readily available screening tools and being resource-ready, PAs take a leadership role in championing integration of mental health across practice, ultimately improving health for all patients.

1. Recognize the importance of mental health as part of overall health as well as persistent health inequities that drive unequal disease burden for vulnerable and underserved populations. 

2. Explore the social determinants of health as they impact mental and behavioral health and recovery. 

3. Explain the role and contributions of Board Certified PAs to screen, manage, coordinate and refer all patients for mental health care. 

4. Describe tools and resources to enhance readiness to provide mental health services and to support integration of mental health in practice. 

5. Discuss current and emerging issues related to the health professions and mental health.

When a patient becomes acutely agitated, it is more than a challenging situation—it is a medical emergency that carries serious risks for both the patient and the care team. This session explores the many causes of acute agitation, including medical, psychiatric, substance-related, and social factors that may contribute to its presentation. Participants will examine how to rapidly assess and manage agitation using evidence-based approaches, from verbal de-escalation and environmental adjustments to safe and effective medication choices. The discussion will also address the role of physical restraints as a last-resort option, applied according to current best practices. Special attention will be given to older adults and other vulnerable patients, with an emphasis on maintaining safety for patients, staff, and clinicians alike.

1. Identify signs, symptoms, and risk factors, including medical, psychiatric, substance-related, and social determinants of health factors, of the acutely agitated patient.
2. Develop an appropriate differential diagnosis of common etiologies of acute agitation.
3. Discuss clinical presentation and workup of common etiologies of acute agitation.
4. Review evidence-based nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions for acute agitation, including indications, efficacy, and safety profiles of commonly used agents.
5. Discuss best practices for utilization of restraints and seclusion to avoid risks and complications.