CIMH Fall 2017 Mental Health Methods Seminar 1 – Behavioral Health Program Management Performance Evaluation: Reconciling Differences between State and Client Level Outcome Data

State governments and other funders have increased the performance expectations and contractual reporting obligations of mental health service providers. Mental health service programs are required to submit datausing prescribed formulas to demonstrate program achievement across specified outcomes. The organizational resources required to produce the required data are considerable. Many of these measures are associated with population health outcomes and include encounter information such as: type, intensity, frequency and location of services, and the overall cost per covered life. In addition, requested data can include client experiences that transcend program services such as hospitalization rates, community tenure, criminal justice involvement, employment, and educational status. Agencies that do not meet or that want to exceed established targets must develop additional internal process and outcome measures to evaluate program performance. Objectives: 1.)Identify the relationships between contract measures and client outcome variables. 2.)Differentiate between contract outcomes and individual client outcomes in program evaluation. 3.)Identify operational strategies to build data efficiencies between contract requirements, program evaluation and client outcomes. Presented by Dr. Marie Kearns, the Regional Director of Philadelphia Behavioral Health Services at Horizon House, Inc. Horizon House is a large Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability services operating primarily in Southeastern Pennsylvaniaand Delaware State. Dr. Kearns earned her PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University, an MSW from Boston University School of Social Work, and a BSW from Salem State University. She has over 40 years of clinical experience in the Behavioral Health field in management and as a direct care provider.