UCLA CTSI-Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) Projects Principal Investigators: Kristen Ochoa (DHS), Kenneth Wells (UCLA) Our project assembles a partnership between UCLA and The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services in order to determine the outcomes of patients who utilize the psychiatric emergency service in Los Angeles County at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and LAC+USC Medical Center. The limited literature on patients using psychiatric emergency services suggests that they are a vulnerable, high risk population. This CTSI Pilot/Collaborative project employs a novel methodology for data linkage and integration across County and State datasets allowing us to follow a cohort of patients and track forensic, outpatient and inpatient outcomes as well as mortality. Results will enable the Department of Health Services to make efficient, data-driven and outcomes-based decisions regarding the disposition of patients from the Psychiatric Emergency Service, thereby improving both clinical care and productivity. This project also creates a new collaboration between the Department of Health Services and UCLA CTSI and a new area of investigation that, despite its importance and relevance within the changing healthcare environment, has not yet been explored by researchers nationally.