Process improvement for behavioral health

Assign Counselor within 48 Hours of First Treatment

Problem:

Clients do not connect with their counselor soon enough after their first treatment.

Solution:

Assign a counselor and meet with them within 48 hours of their first treatment.

Featured Stories

CAP Quality Care of Westbrook, Maine increased encounters in their Opioid Treatment Program within the first 45 days of treatment by 27% by having patients meet with an assigned counselor within the first 48 hours of treatment.

Lessons Learned

  • Increasing the number of encounters for opioid treatment clients helps prolong “maintenance treatment,” which improves outcomes.

Tracking Measures

Cycle Measure

Number of hours between clients’ first treatment and seeing a counselor

Data Collection Form

None

ActionSteps

Plan

  • 1. Collect baseline data for the number of hours between clients’ first treatment and seeing a counselor.

Do

  • 1. Assign counselors to each new client and schedule a session within 48 hours of the first treatment.
  • 2. Track the number of hours between first treatment and seeing a counselor.

Study

  • 1. Check the fidelity of the change. Was the change implemented as planned?
  • 2. Evaluate the change.
    • Did clients see a counselor sooner after receiving their first treatment?
    • Did the number of encounters increase?
    • Did continuation in treatment increase?
    • What feedback did the counselor have about meeting with clients soon after their first treatment?

Act

  • 1. Adjust the process used to assign and schedule sessions within 48 hours of the first treatment.

Repeat this series of steps until you have refined the assignment and scheduling process. Expand this practice to all clients and counselors.