Mental health articles

Clinical practice is fraught with demands on the practitioner’s time, and the emphasis of many clinical tools is on the assessment of need, with a commensurate neglect of the management of the risks identified. In many instances, the design of clinical tools stops short at simply offering a final box headed ‘management plan’, lacking the guidance previously afforded to the process of assessment.

Morgan presents one example of how more space and guidelines may be offered, to inform the discussions that direct a risk decision to be represented in a more formal plan. This plan may equally be located within the overall ‘care plan’, or stand as a specific risk management plan attachment to the care plan. Accessibility and utility of the plan are the important issues. The subsequent management of a risk, including the taking of risks, should be afforded at least equal importance and attention as the initial identification of risk through assessment. Ultimately, a thoroughly assessed risk that was haphazardly managed is still likely to result in negative consequences.

Tags: risk, risk management