Enhancing Integrated Services

The Challenge

A community-based agency wanted to merge their mental health and substance use disorder units into a single, cohesive program. Their concurrent, parallel-service model was not serving their clients’ needs, and they wanted to integrate assessments and treatment planning.

The Process

To better understand the agency’s needs, we held focus groups with representatives of all service lines. After determining the agency’s strengths and challenges, we identified an assessment tool that supported their goal of providing integrated care. We then presented a four-part training on administering this tool that included:

• overview and rationale
• assessment and treatment planning practice scenarios
• agency site visits to review assessments and treatment plans
• feedback and coaching.

The Result

The agency reports having a much more cohesive, streamlined, and integrated experience for both clients and practitioners. The agency’s Program Directors commented, “We were really struggling to figure out how to bring our substance abuse and mental health assessment and planning together. Now we have a process that works for us, our electronic records, and, most importantly, our clients.”