Community Based Acute Treatment CBAT

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Specializes in Post Acute, Home, Inpatient, Hospice/Pall Care.

I am a new nurse (graduated 5/12, NCLEX 6/12) I am currently the program nurse at a residential educational facility for children with severe trauma histories and acute mental illness, they are not hospital level acute, but very behavioral and easily triggered. We also have a CBAT program. The res/ed has been here for a LONG time and the same nurse for 15 years. She left 3 years ago since then they had 2 part time nurses, both of whom have been in and out with medical issues, both finally retired and there has been no one steady since the summer. I took the position knowing that I had to build the role of the nurse from scratch as the whole office and paperwork etc. was a mess and the nurse manager at the other res/ed we have said it would be easier to just start over. She is helpful but she is not close by so I am pretty much on my own. My question is regarding the CBAT role. No one seems to know the role and I can't find any info on it searching the web and state requirements. They require a nurse but don't say what I am supposed to do! I am in MA. If anyone has any experience or knowledge in this area any advice, websites, anything really would be greatly appreciated!!!

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Specializes in Psych.

Well I do something similar right now, although I work with adults and we are not a residential program. I work on an ACT (assertive community treatment) team. We work with probably the sickest, least stable patients in the community. Many are homeless, almost all are dually diagnosed, multiple hospitalizations, stints in prison, etc. Usually these folks are not that stable Nd we do what we can to keep them in the community but sometimes hospital/jail is unavoidable. If this sounds similar to your job I would take a look at the ACTA website. Lots of good info on the different roles that are on a given act team. Basically I manage meds, give injections, do med and psychoeducation, do some wellness teaching and advocating for clients with somatic illnesses. I also assess and provide first aid for minor stuff or assess and then refer to the patients PCP, urgent care, or ED. I also handle case management for a 5 person caseload.

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