The Science of Safety: Applications for Direct Care Leaders

Organizations that apply safety science to behavioral health, mental health, and other supportive services improve the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of their work. The University of Kentucky’s Center for Innovation in Population Health works to identify and support innovative approaches to quality improvement and system reform efforts in health and human services. By leveraging tools like organizational assessment and systems analysis of critical incidents, organizations build team culture and help systems learn and improve. What role do direct care leaders have in moving from cultures of fear to cultures of learning? Hear how a team-based methodology—derived from other high-risk fields like aviation, physical healthcare, and the nuclear industry—can help you create better outcomes for children, youth, and families across the continuum of care. We may not think about direct care staff in the same way we think about pilots, surgeons, and nuclear technicians, but we should!