Utilizing Collaborative Learning for Regional Behavioral Health Improvement

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Primary Author:</td>
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Susan Seidensticker, MSHAI</td>
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Co-Principal Investigators/Collaborators:</td>
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Craig Kovacevich, MA</td>
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Organization:</td>
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University of Texas Medical Branch</td>
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Abstract</h2>
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Purpose</h3>
<p align="left">To utilize the IHI’s Collaborative Model for Achieving Breakthrough Improvement to impact behavioral healthcare delivery across a diverse region.</p>
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Background</h3>
<p>The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Medicaid Transformation Waiver is intended to expand coverage for Medicaid and Uninsured patients; the state has been broken into 20 geographic regions. Region 2, as anchored by UTMB, developed a Community Needs Assessment that identified Behavioral Health topics as 4 of the 18 unique areas that impact the ability to deliver the right care to the right patient at the right time. One of the strategies being used to address this is collaborative learning, thus allowing the promotion of best practices and the development of innovative solutions.</p>
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Materials & Methods</h3>
<p align="left">Representatives from 20 hospitals, mental health authorities, federally qualified health centers, county officials and judiciary, hospital districts, law enforcement, and academia have come together to form a working partnership designed to improve the quality and consistency of behavioral health services in a 16-county region.</p>
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Results</h3>
<p>Participants are testing new ideas related to the major Behavioral Health topics (Primary Care Integration, Substance Abuse, Crisis Services and Peer Support), and sharing results. This multi-pronged PDSA process allows for multiple tests of change to be done with similar patient populations in a rapid fashion.</p>
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Conclusion</h3>
<p>A regional effort to share best practices is ongoing, and the engaged organizations are working to solve the common issues. By bringing these diverse providers together, new ideas are being developed to test that will allow for more care to be provided at a higher quality level and in a more timely fashion.</p>
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Bibliography</h3>
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Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2003). The Breakthrough Series: IHI’s Collaborative Model for Achieving Breakthrough Improvement. IHI Innovation Series white paper. Boston, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement. http://www.ihi.org</li>
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Janssens, A., Hayen, S., Walraven, V., et al. (2013). Emergency psychiatric care for children and adolescents. Pediatric Emergency Care 29(9): 1041-1050. Doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e3182a393e7</li>
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Vannoy, S.D., Mauer, B., Kern, J., et al. (2011). A learning collaborative of CMHCs and CHCs to support integration of behavioral health and general medical care. Psychiatric Services 62(7): 753-758. Doi: 10.1776/appi.ps.62.7.753</li>
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<p>© Improvement Science Research Network, 2012</p>
<p>The ISRN published this as received and with permission from the author(s).</p>