Outcome management in mental health
Part A
In order to understand the application of outcome management in mental health and how it is applied, it is necessary to start to start by understanding mental health, and its applicability, as well as the roles that it seeks to achieve in corporations and organizations. Outcome management is an approach that involves a well-developed strategy, and that seeks to make sure that every initiative that has been developed and around an administrational, departmental or even organizational outcome with the intent of achievement is actualized and achieved (Carroll, 2008). Outcome management is, therefore, a guiding milestone that assists the corporation to ascertain whether or not it is working towards the desired outcome and goals. In this case, for example, there are various goals that mental health institutions seek to achieve when setting their goals and objectives.
Outcome management should be viewed as a major issue in any company or organization, based on how much the corporation seeks to ensure that it achieves its goals and objectives. At the same time, it is also necessary to note the fact that mental health corporations seek to ensure that they achieve total mental wellness to their clients, as well as rehabilitation of various conditions’ addicts. With a focus on MorningSide Recovery, for example, the facility has been focusing on all mental conditions that patients go through, and that have been affecting them in their day to day activities. The main issue in this case, therefore, and which is the mental facility’s goal and mission is ensuring that they provide exceptionally effective treatment and care to their clients, who are dependent on chemical products, and making them chemically independent and free from co-occurring conditions and disorders (Steel, et. al, 2009).
This directly relates to better patient outcome, since being chemically independent will assist them in carrying on with their day to day activities without any interruptions, which are acquired from various addictions, particularly, chemical addictions. This will, consequently, make them more productive.
Impacts of outcome management on nursing leadership
Outcome management should be applied in nursing leadership in medical facilities across all areas nation-wide. This is due to the fact that the nursing department is one of the major areas in any health or mental facility that focuses on dealing with the day to day activities and aspects of the patients. At the same time, the nurses are the persons that are involved in the day to day monitoring of the patients, such as administration of drugs. Considering the fact that mental conditions are better addressed from a social perspective, then it is necessary for the nursing department to effectively address their roles, such as administration of drugs, involvement of the patients in communication (which will assist the nursing department in ascertaining whether or not the patients’ conditions are improving) as well as offering quality services to the patients in making them fully chemical-independent, in order to address the patients’ addiction.
Impacts of outcome management on the healthcare system
One essential and key thing to note in this case is the fact that effective outcome management will only be achievable if the individual nurses and the nursing department will be effective in carrying out its duties. At the same time, it should be implemented in a strategic manner, which will ensure that there is esprit de corps (working together and in one direction, in order to achieve a specific goal). With proper implementation of outcome management on the departmental level, this will provide a clear avenue for the implementation of the same on the nation-wide platform. Consequently, this will improve the mental health department nation-wide, especially in the provision of services to the clients and patients (Steel, et. al, 2009).
Part B: Specific impact of outcome management
Firstly, it will be necessary to look at the impact that outcome management has had on the agency that the students are finishing their practicum; MorningSide Recovery. From an analysis of the medical facility and the implementation strategy that they have been applying in the completion and attainment of effective services and training, it is necessary to note that it has worked with various agencies and educational institutions, such as Centaur University, Irvine Valley College and Irvine Valley College among others. One of the most key aspects to note concerning outcome management is the fact that ti has enhanced leadership in these agencies and institutions, whereby, the students are tested on the desired outcomes based on the health facilities’ mission and goal. In this case, therefore, the students are educated in a way that will assist them in becoming intellectual capital for the mental healthcare sector, not only in one institution, but also in other institutions across the world (Pollard, 1993).
Secondly, the same has been achieved in the specific units that the students have been involved in, for instance, in the education and development of the mental healthcare sector through implementing effective services. It is necessary to note the fact that the students improved their services, especially, by identifying the specific niche from which they will establish a rapport with the patients. This is necessary, especially, in order to understand their specific needs, depending with the different conditions from which the patients are suffering.
Lastly, the practice of nursing at the staff level has also been implemented with the adoption and implementation of outcome management, since it make it easier to monitor the different departments within a health facility and ascertain whether or not they have achieved their set goals and objectives. Through effective leadership, outcome management has had a positive impact on the nursing staff management, since it provides a common platform for the medical facility to work together, in achieving one common goal. This is one of the greatest challenges that corporations have been facing alongside medical facilities, which has been bridged through outcome management, since it focuses on the final goal and outcome, as opposed to individual achievements (Pollard, 1993).
Part C: Recommendations
Recommendation approach
- Parallel training- One of the most essential aspects to note concerning the training at the practicum is the fact that it is developed in accordance to the institution/ facility’s expectations. In this case, therefore, it is necessary for the corporation to focus on developing a training strategy in accordance to the institution’s established mission. This will ensure that the trained students are off-job-trained, but still get to gain the knowledge and skill that the institution requires, upon their training completion (Smith, et. al, 2007).
- Outcome domain division- It is necessary to note the fact that as much as the mental facility seeks to achieve one ultimate goal, achievement of the same will rely on how effectively different departments will work together in the achievement of the same. In this case, for example, it will be necessary to train the employees depending on the different roles that they will play in their departments in the achievement of the same. In the case of MorningSide Recovery Health Facility, for example, the corporation’s mission is to offer quality treatment to the clients in ensuring that they become chemical-independent. However, it is also necessary to note that the chemicals include alcohol and drugs among others, and at the same time, assistance of the same will be carried out through different ways depending means, such as outpatient services, dual-diagnosis and addiction treatment among other means. Students in practicum, therefore, need the necessary knowledge for all these departments, in the respective areas that they will be involved in carrying out their practices. This will enhance performance (Carroll, 2008).
- Benchmarking intellectual skill- It will be necessary to identify the resources that each of the employee offers to the facility, as well as their specific strengths and weaknesses, with the assistance of the human resource department. This will ensure that the students are assigned to the specific areas in which they will deliver most, having identified the fact that different people have different strengths and weaknesses, as well. At the same time, it will also assist the institution in effectively training the employees in the areas that need improvement and the areas that the students record minimal productivity and delivery (The Urban Institute, 2003).
Part D: Approach Exploration
Parallel training- Parallel training is one of the most effective strategies and approaches that the practicum can use and adopt, especially, in assisting it to achieve its ultimate mission. The rationale of using this approach is basically based on the fact that the students will gain the necessary knowledge that they require, from both a theoretical as well as a practical perspective, which will boost their performance. Consequently, they will be in a good position to maximize on their performance and offer quality services to the clients.
This approach will be the first step towards addressing the outcome management challenge in the agency because it will ensure that the employees, for example the nurses, gain the knowledge and skill from a practical perspective that they need for each of the fields that they offer their services. This will ensure that the employees work jointly towards achieving the facility’s set mission and objectives. Parallel training will, therefore, enrich the students/employees with the skill necessary for the implementation of the same (Smith, et. al, 2007).
At the same time, based on the fact that the facility’s mission is to improve on its services to the clients and improvement of the outcome management strategies adopted, the student will enhance the achievement of the same by gaining the skill necessary for the implementation of the same, which will be achieved through quality services and diverse knowledge concerning the field that they offer their services. Lastly, the measurable criteria that will in this case be used to measure the success of the approach will be the number of clients/patients that the facility assists to be chemically independent over a given period of time. These numbers will be progressively assessed and measured over time, and the recorded trend will ascertain whether or not the strategy and approach is working towards the desired direction (Fell, 2009).
References
Carroll, A. (2008). Risk assessment and management in practice: the Forensicare Risk Assessment and Management Exercise. Australasian Psychiatry, 16(6), 412-417. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=854ee5ed-0de0-4c59-91c7-0ef2c5ddb4b3%40sessionmgr12&vid=12&hid=6
Fell, D. (2009). The new era of connected healthcare. Marketing Health Service, 30(1), 17 –19. Retrieved from http://amaconnect.marketingpower.com/marketing_sector/healthcare_industry/m/healthcare_industry_resources/3942.aspx
Pollard, B. J. (1993). Autonomy and paternalism in medicine. Medical Journal of Healthcare , 159(11-12): 797-802.
Shafiei, T. T., Gaynor, N. N., & Farrell, G. G. (2011). The characteristics, management and outcomes of people identified with mental health issues in an emergency department, Melbourne, Australia. Journal Of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 18(1), 9-16. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=854ee5ed-0de0-4c59-91c7-0ef2c5ddb4b3%40sessionmgr12&vid=15&hid=6
Steel Z, Chey T, Silove D, Marnane C, Bryant RA, van Ommeren M. (2009). Association of Torture and Other Potentially Traumatic Events With Mental Health Outcomes Among Populations Exposed to Mass Conflict and Displacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA.302(5):537-549. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1132
The Urban Institute (2003). Key steps in outcome management. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org
Smith, G. R., Fischer, E. P., Nordquist, C. R., Mosley, C. L. & Ledbetter, N. S. (2007). Implementing outcomes management systems in mental health settings. Department of psychiartry. March, 48(3):364- 8Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9057239
