Finding an IT Solution, the CDS and Year-End Reporting
Dear Readers,
Thank you for all of your interest in the last few months. Many of you have been
giving serious thought to implementing a data management system and, as a result,
in this edition of the CSM newsletter we talk about some important steps to consider
when planning an IT solution.
We also have included information about Common Data Set for Mental Health standards
and how to easily compile year-end Ministry reports. Additionally, we will talk
about the improved Group handling functionality in the Client Services Manager
application.
Please browse through our topics and, if you have any questions or would like more
information, please e-mail us at csm@nasztech.com
or call us toll-free at 1-877-342-1755.
Yours Sincerely,
Taira Kirkland
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| Finding the Right IT Solution |
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How do you implement a sound IT software solution?. In the
mental health industry, electronic files are certainly the future, but how do
you begin when budgets are not being increased? It seems that each individual
agency is going to have to come up with their own solution, but we have a
few guidelines that may help you decide how to choose the right solution
and find the money to implement it.
1. The first step is to find a software solution that will help manage
your agency by collecting and reporting information about referrals, clients,
programs, groups and employees. This application should produce
Ministry reports and internal management reports. It should use mainstream
technology and technical support and training should be available from the
software vendor. You also need to make sure that when Ministry requirements
change (as they will again for the 2004-05 reporting period) that the software can
be upgraded to meet the new requirements, preferably at no additional cost.
2. The second step is to have a computer consultant analyze your existing IT
infrastructure, and give you a breakdown of how much it will cost and how long
it will take to install new hardware and software that will run the IT software
solution you are considering.
3. The third step is finding the money to pay for everything.
At this time of year you may have left-over money from your budget. It may be
a wise choice to invest that money into infrastructure like a server or even
an entire network.
Another option is to ask the Ministry for one-time funding.
If you can prove that purchasing hardware and software will help you serve your
clients more effectively, the Ministry may accept your proposal and give you
extra money. As well, the investment would help you to become more accountable
and therefore improve your chance for a budget increase.
The third way to pay for IT infrastructure is to find it within your existing
budget. This option for some may seem impossible, but what if you
partner with several agencies to purchase equipment everyone
could use? Then the benefits and costs would be shared and would cut expenses
dramatically. Of course you would need to make sure the MIS application you
invest in can accommodate multiple agencies and many simultaneous users. Today,
it is possible to find a good solution that works well in a Datacentre environment,
where access is possible by agencies in different locations.
Another effective way to fund IT, if your organization is large enough, is
through attrition. A good IT solution should make your organization more
efficient and the net difference on the "bottom line" could be zero with
as little as one less staff member, while at the same time, servicing the same
or more clients more effectively.
If you would like to speak with someone who has found a solution that works
and is affordable, please feel free to call Belia Brandow, Executive Director for Leeds
and Grenville Rehabilitation and Counselling Services in Brockville, Ontario
at (613) 342-6214. They would be happy to answer any questions you may have
about their experiences in implementing the right IT solution for their agency.
If you would like to learn more about an affordable IT solution that can
benefit your agency, please contact us, toll-free, at 1-877-342-1755.
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What is the Common Data Set (CDS-MH) and what does it mean to you?
CDS-MH provides an administrative/clinical data collection standard and Ministry of
Health reporting requirements for Community Mental Health Organizations. These
guidelines are important because consistent data is a prerequisite for meaningful
and comparative reporting.
The CDS-MH does not require you to use any particular instrument or system for data
collection and most agencies already collect most, if not all, mandatory elements.
Those agencies that do not collect this information properly need to align their data
elements to meet the CDS-MH requirements and definitions for the 2004/05 operating year.
Phase 1 of the CDS-MH rollout is set to begin April 2003. Agencies
are encouraged to volunteer for this pilot stage to help identify and address data
quality issues prior to actual implementation. All of our clients are participating
in Phase I of the CDS-MH rollout and will be collecting and reporting data according
to the new CDS-MH standards.
If you would like to implement a data collection system that meets the Common Data
Set for Mental Health standards, please contact us for more information about
Client Services Manager.
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How long does it usually take your agency to compile its Ministry
reports? Days? Weeks? Using the Client Services Manager application
you can print all of your Ministry reports in minutes!
By implementing Client Services Manager at your agency, you can collect all the
necessary information to properly compile and report data. We can even import
existing PSR Toolkit data into CSM so you can start printing reports immediately.
The printing process is as easy as choosing the 'Print all Ministry Reports'
option from the reports menu. CSM will automatically cycle through all of
your agency's programs and print the required reports for the proper reporting period.
If you are interested in receiving a package of sample reports, please
send us a request at csm@nasztech.com.
Please include your name, agency address and telephone number. We will mail a sample reports
package, including the additional Ministry reports required in the Southeastern Ontario
region, directly to you.
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| Enhanced Group Functionality |
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Client Services Manager is a powerful Enterprise-Level information system
designed specifically for community mental health organizations. Because
of the many group activities undertaken by these organizations, it was important
to develop CSM with robust group management capabilities.
Now CSM has even more enhanced group handling functionality. Agencies
can manage a user-defined combination of staff, clients and nonclients
(i.e. a group), while collecting accurate and detailed information
and post that information to client histories. This method accounts for all
client and staff time (direct and indirect), tracks attendance and monitors both
participation and nonparticipation.
Some CSM users, depending on their program, rely on the group functionality to do
the bulk of their data recording in one location with a minimum of effort. You
too would undoubtedly find CSM to be an indispensable tool in your organization.
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We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about Client Services
Manager. We can provide a demonstration at any time either in your offices or via the
Internet. Contact us today to make your appointment.
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