September 16, 2019
i2i Center being true to its mission to convene, strategize and activate solutions has successfully facilitated discussions among a workgroup of the seven LME/MCOs and seven partner Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) that has led to an agreement on indicators for a PRTF dashboard and on a single assessment tool. This effort, funded by the Division of MH/IDD/SUD, is part of a larger discussion around strategies to strengthen the children’s mental health system in North Carolina.
i2i Center staff first conducted interviews with each organization involved in the pilot and received resounding support for the dashboard concept.
According to Blackbaud, an international software company, “The whole point of the web-based dashboard is that it lets you visualize the Key Performance Indicators and other strategic data for your organization at a glance. It is the dashboard tool that presents management with the information for the practical end of the organization.” The dashboard measuring outcomes of children in PRTFs will not only be used by the PRTFs and LME/MCOs, but by the State as well.
The workgroup members reviewed multiple indicators and chose 23 indicators that will provide information related to the level of family engagement while the child is in the PRTF, the efforts of the PRTF to begin developing a discharge plan and identification of an appropriate follow-up treatment while the child is in the PRTF, and also includes some post-discharge follow-up.
In general, progress would be inputted every month and the dashboard would contain a 12-month view to chart each client’s progress. Upon admission, initial assessment results entered into the dashboard would begin tracking progress. Benchmarks would only be set after data from the pilot sites had been gathered for a certain time period. Similarly, percentages will be based on a certain reporting time. Lastly, the dashboard will have a glossary of terms and definitions to support standardardization across the statewide pilot sites using the dashboard.
In addition to agreeing on the dashboard indicators, the workgroup was able to research several assessments that could be completed in intervals during the child’s stay in the PRTF and at the time of discharge. That research culminated in the workgroup recommending to NC DMH/IDD/SUD one standardized assessment tool, TOP, that each of the pilot entities would use. With one assessment tool being used across the State, reliable data could be gathered and shared across providers, payers and the State.
The workgroup finalized their recommendations in July, and those recommenations were then sent on to NC DMH/IDD/SUD for follow-up.