In 2018, Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth incorporated a psychiatric intake team into its Mission Control, which has led to big results for behavioral health patients at the system.
Here is how it works.
Mission Control’s psych intake team operates 24/7 across eight hospitals and 12 freestanding EDs. The team manages patients who are there under involuntary holds, either through the Marchman Act, which covers substance use, and the Baker Act, which pertains to mental health.
On a given day, the team manages 20 to 30 of these patients, who are flagged using the electronic health record. The team’s primary focus is on finding required placement in either mental health or substance use beds.
“Essentially, we’ve centralized the navigation for these patients to their next level of care,” Christin Ray, BSN, RN, executive director of behavioral health at AdventHealth, told Becker’s. “Once the patient is stabilized and is able to be discharged but still in need of mental health or substance use services, our team steps in.”
In many cases, the patient is placed at the systems crisis stabilization unit, but others often need placement in the broader community.
“Depending on each case, the team will review paperwork, follow up on missing items and act as the referral interface across our division,” Ms. Ray said. “If needed, they’ll even conduct a statewide search to find appropriate placement when options within Orlando aren’t available. Bed capacity is limited here, so having a team that understands the full picture — including what each facility can take — helps ensure timely, appropriate placements.”
The results
The team has cut boarding times in the emergency department. In 2022, medical clearance to patient placement was at 17 hours. So far in 2025, placement takes place in about five hours.
“There’s also been a noticeable boost in team member satisfaction,” Ms. Ray said. “Now, there’s a designated team focused solely on facilitating next steps, which relieves clinical teams and improves the patient experience. For us, centralizing the process has been a game-changer. It’s helped us reduce turnaround times, improve outcomes and provide a better experience for patients and staff alike.”
