When I receive inquiries from potential new customers, they ask me about the essential qualities to be a successful behavioral health organization. Having been in this business for over 45 years, I’ve seen a lot of successes and failures. Having sufficient capital, a good business plan, potential payor base. But these elements are not enough to survive in this field. So I tell them about the three P’s.
Passion. With apologies to Mark Cuban, having the desire to be in the behavioral health organization is crucial. The field of healthcare is unlike any other because we are helping people improve their lives, one client at a time. In my experience, almost everyone has a story about why they entered this field. Many were formerly in the system as foster children, had unique mental health challenges, or had families with those challenges. Some of my clients are foster parents or adoptive parents life myself. Companies like Kaiser Permanente use the word “passionate” in their recruiting. We enter this field not to make money but to help others. A company will not succeed without passion or a thirst to help others. Look at most organizational mission statements, and the concept of caring for others is evident.
Patience. There is no quick fix to start a behavioral health organization or attain a new line of services. For example, when organizations want to start a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) in California (or Qualified Therapeutic Residential Programs or QTRPs), the process can take three to four years. There are numerous layers of program development and approvals by county and state governments. Many aspiring agencies become frustrated by the length of this process. However, nothing can be done about it because governments are not known for speed. But there is a reason for this slowness. Governments and payors require diligence, or their credibility is lost. Ghost networks plague insurance companies. Deaths occur at group homes. Be prepared for the long process knowing that your payor needs to be thorough. Patience is a virtue.
Persistence. Along with being patient, the behavioral health organization cannot let things fall by the wayside. Although approvals, new business, and other ventures take time, it doesn’t mean one must wait around completely. Over the years, networking with people in leading managed care companies or governmental entities has helped to forge collaborations. For example, I had a client who wanted Medi-Cal approval as a residential treatment facility for substance use. A California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) representative requested that an application be necessary. Three months after submission, nothing happened. With contacts I had at the State, we discovered that the PAVE system was the correct avenue. By being persistent, the State fast-walked the client’s process through PAVE, and they received their state certification. Now DHCS is asking for agencies to help them in the process of expediting the licensing and certification process with a new survey.
Using the three Ps as a behavioral health organization promotes a positive approach to growth, sustaining, and maintaining a business.
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PRAXES is a nationwide behavioral health software, consulting, and training company. No one in the behavioral health industry has a better reputation, and if you give us the chance, we’ll show you why! At PRAXES, our services improve the efficiency and structure of behavioral health agencies serving children and families nationwide. PRAXES brings over 45 years of administrative and clinical expertise. With more than 100 client companies nationwide, we offer the expertise to advance the quality of behavioral health services. We accomplish these goals through our new clinical decision software, our training of best practices, and helping companies meet regulatory standards. At PRAXES, we believe in being creative and fostering new ways to serve children and their families. Our vision is to empower the families our agencies serve with skills that not only improve their functioning, but help them to thrive in their everyday lives. When you give us the chance, you’ll be connected directly to our friendly staff, so you can expect immediate attention to your inquiry. So, don’t wait, call now!
Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
PRAXES has over 30 years of accreditation experience. We know what it takes to get your organization accredited. Whether it’s Joint Commission, CARF, or COA, our team can provide an evaluation of your current status and review the standards which need improvements. We will assist you with the policies, documentation, and training required to be accredited.
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