Managing Behavioral Health Tools and Solutions for Treatment Centers

The behavioral health management and solutions industry is both significant and very complex. 

For example, did you know that one in five people will experience a behavioral health disorder at some point in their lives? The effects of untreated mental illnesses are devastating, but the treatments for such conditions can be equally challenging to navigate. That’s where behavioral health management solutions come in. 

We’ll walk you through the latest innovations in behavioral health software that help treatment centers be more effective and efficient in managing patient records, medication administration, and other services related to mental healthcare.

What are Behavioral Health Management Solutions?

Behavioral health is a broad term that encompasses mental health, substance abuse and addiction, and eating disorders. It can include behavioral issues related to childhood trauma or neglect, family dysfunction, or domestic violence.

Behavioral health is a subset of general health. While there are some differences between them (for example, behavioral health services often focus on identifying the cause of an individual’s problem rather than just treating it), they’re closely related subjects that share many resources and goals.

Behavioral healthcare has grown into a multi-faceted industry over recent years: while it remains true that individuals seeking help for their mental illness may need therapy from a psychiatrist or psychologist, as well as medications from a doctor. These professionals must now also be able to: 

• collaborate with social workers who specialize in addressing family dynamics; 
• arrange for transportation for disabled clients (in case public transport fails);
• coordinate meals for low-income patients who don’t have reliable supplies at home; 
• identify community resources like food pantries. 

This helps contribute to ensuring a positive experience throughout the treatment process.

The Problem with Legacy Systems

Legacy systems decay with time and date themselves with bottlenecks of error. They’ve been around a long time and seen their ways tire, meaning they’re often not user-friendly or easy to use. You can’t just log in and start using them immediately; there’s usually a learning curve involved. 

You might have to hire consultants who know how the system works for staff to create reports or input new information into the system on behalf of patients. Some legacy systems can also be challenging to maintain, upgrade and integrate with other software applications like patient intake forms or appointment scheduling programs.

It should go without saying that these kinds of problems aren’t worth dealing with if there are better management options available.

Better Behavioral Health Tools and Management Options

• Software-as-a-Service: This is software that can be accessed from anywhere via the internet, including from your smartphone or tablet.
• Cloud-based Software: A third party hosts this kind of software accessible by multiple users on different devices (e.g., desktop computers, mobile phones, etc.).
• Cross-platform Compatibility: The ability to access the same program on multiple devices and operating systems (such as Windows PCs and MacBooks or tablets and phones) at once remains vital for behavioral health professionals. Providers need seamless access to their treatment plans no matter where they are, on- or off-site.

Behavioral Health Management Solutions with Admissions Management and Billing

For a treatment center, behavioral health management solutions mean having access to an integrated and comprehensive solution covering everything from admissions management to billing. 

This is an integral part of the treatment process because it helps keep the focus on what matters most: getting your clients back on their feet and giving them the best possible chance of success.

Clinical Functionality for Tracking Patient Progress

• Clinical functionality is a vital part of the patient management system. It enables you to record and track your patient’s progress, allowing you to monitor their responses to treatment and make adjustments as needed.
• The system allows you to view specific information about each individual in your care, including their physical condition and any additional factors that may affect their behavior or treatment plan.

Customize Workflows like Consent, Admissions, and Case Planning

It’s important to customize your workflow processes for your specific needs. Electronic consent forms, admissions, and case planning are examples of workflow processes.

Good software allows you to customize these processes with ease. Workflow solutions typically include a robust set of tools that will enable you to create and manage the flow of information through the treatment center or hospital. 

You can easily create new documents, assign tasks, and keep track of patient data (e.g., medications). Updating tracking systems used by insurance companies and governmental agencies such as Medicaid or Medicare is easy, as is managing employee time cards with automated time-tracking capabilities built into the system itself. The possibilities are endless.

Billing and Insurance Claims Processing

Behavioral health treatment centers provide a wide range of services, including counseling, psychotherapy, and substance abuse treatment. The billing and insurance claims processing for these services is complex. For example:

• Billing for individual therapy sessions can be challenging because each session is different. Some may require more time due to the client’s needs or their treatment progress.
• Insurance companies often require medical documentation for certain types of billings, such as those involving multiple diagnoses or referrals from other healthcare providers on behalf of your patients (such as psychiatrists).

Oral and Ultrasound Drug Testing Results Tracking.

Drug testing is an important part of the patient management process. Patient drug testing can help determine if a patient is using drugs or alcohol, which can be used to adjust care plans as required.

Drug testing also helps patients take personal accountability for their behavior, which has shown to increase treatment outcomes. When you test for drugs, it sends a message that your center takes patient accountability seriously, allowing patients to see how hard they are working toward recovery by showing them their progress through the results of each test.

Integration with Patient Portals for Notification

Integration with patient portals lets the entire family know of care plans, tests, and appointments. The ability to notify family members of care plans is a feature that many treatment centers are seeking. 

This varies from center to center and often requires additional integration with their existing software systems. When a treatment center figures out a plan to address issues like medication compliance and therapy, attendance varies based on the implementation of software or integration of a treatment strategy. 

When families get updates on treatment progress, it helps improve the client’s overall health and gives solace about their well-being.

Access to a Full Suite of Analysis Tools 

Behavioral health management solutions enable you to monitor healthcare trends both nationally and in your local area. They also provide the ability to:

• Track and analyze data, such as care plans, tests, appointments, etc.
• Identify and address healthcare trends. 
• Monitor and analyze patient progress by measuring engagement with treatment programs individually.
• Monitor and analyze recovery through comprehensive assessments that track a patient’s journey from admission through discharge.

Comprehensive client management tools

Comprehensive client management tools gives you the ability to track patient progress. A combination of reports and alerts track patient progress:

• Progress reports including clinical data, behavioral health history, and client goals.
• Client-specific dashboards that provide visualizations of your program’s most important metrics.
• Email alerts tell when key events occur or when clients near the end of their treatment plan.

Implementing Innovations with New Management

1. Use a phased approach to see the outcome of enhancements
2. Start with a pilot phase to control for bugs and the unexpected.
3. Test the software with a small group of small, subset of patients.

Behavioral health is a critical field that helps people with mental health issues manage their disorders and live happy lives. 

The process of approving patients for treatment, implementing a treatment plan, and following up afterward is complex. To handle all the tasks involved, behavioral health clinics must-have software that can schedule appointments and keep track of patient information. 

With so many behavioral health management software options on the market today, it’s essential to carefully consider which program best fits your clinic’s needs before partnering with a behavioral health management firm. Make sure to discuss their patient data solution as part of the integrated management conversation.