Start, Stop, Continue Part 3 - What We're Doing Well
In the final part of the Start, Stop, Continue exercise, we take a look at Continue: What We're Doing Well.
In a lot of our communities, we're getting good at providing integrated care.
Sometimes, providers focus on one condition or one treatment. But we know that health is complex. Addressing mental health, for instance, without considering physical health issues, overlooks a person's overall well-being.
We’ve had enough experience with integrated care to know that it can be a really effective way to improve the health of people and communities. Different LCSNW offices may have different approaches to integrated care, but they have this in common: they design all stages of service delivery around what's best for the person. Let's continue thinking about a person's whole health and working with different groups involved in that person's care so that, from their perspective, the services delivered are consistent and coordinated.
Inland Northwest District Director Erin Williams Hueter says the care (either delivered in the office or through telehealth), begins even before "hello." Her team has focused on making sure they work with the partners they need to identify people who need our services. They’ve also improved their screening to try to get at as many aspects of a person's health as possible. With the help of the local Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) program, Erin’s team has built a network, which includes primary care, other social services, and substance use disorder treatment providers--they’ve also improved the teamwork between our programs and our victims advocates. The team can connect a person to healthcare partners, therapists, and peer specialists; they can get counseling for pain management, trauma recovery, and work with an advocate on legal matters. The ACH has even funded a care coordinator and client engagement specialist on our team--partnering with the ACH is something we should also continue.
The impact of these coordinated efforts is improved quality of care and health outcomes. I think it also sets us up to lead, not just follow, in this space. I think integrated care is the future of social services. The more we network with other professions and improve our own reporting, screening and communications both inside our own agency and with other providers in our community, the more successful we'll be.
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