Author: Portsmouth Behavioral Healthcare Services

Since 2008, the National Council has offered behavioral health organizations the opportunity to participate in various access and retention initiatives. These initiatives are designed to provide the tools and resources to make access to care more timely, address revenue losses due to no-show appointments, and to institute performance improvement measures across the board. During the month of March, PDBHS staff prepared for the implementation process of SDA through Management Training Measurement (MTM) with organization President Scott Lloyd.

PDBHS is on the list of 22 CSBs that will be eligible for SDA implementation funding as of July 1, 2018. The State selected MTM to help CSB organizations assess current models of access-to-care process flows and to identify the types of barriers to having effective access. PDBHS must be ready to meet the increased demand for services by being able to offer appointments when people need them, avoid long waitlists, and improve operational efficiencies.

Offering same day access avoids revenue loss and allows clinicians to spend more time engaging patients in treatment. This process will also demand closer supervision of consumers, services and staff to meet service expectations.

Overview/Impact
PDBHS will have to assess what additional staff will be needed to implement SDA and meet the needs of Medicaid Expansion.

A services animal is defined as dogs trained to do work or perform a specific task for people with disabilities. In 1975, Bonita Bergin invented and introduced the concept of the service dog after traveling to Asia and seeing people use donkeys to assist with transportation and other life needs.

A psychiatric service dog can signal or interrupt repetitive or injurious behaviors. They can remind the handler to take medications or guide the handler from a stressful situation. They can also wake the handler from a nightmare or turn on the lights to help the handler get orientated.

Having a service dog gives you a sense of purpose. They allow you to regain some independence and freedom by supporting you with a partnership that becomes a connection beyond words. They make you respond to them, instead of hiding behind a social mask. They understand your body language, facial expressions and tones of our voices better than any human can.

Submitted by a Veteran Consumer of PDBHS