Executive leaders meeting with governmental, or accreditation reviewers normally do so with a sense of decorum. The reviewer has substantial influence over licensure, payment, contracting, or other valued relationships. Yet in many instances, the executive creates an adversarial atmosphere that worsens their professional relationships.
Frequently, this problem occurs when the two sides meet over an evaluation of the behavioral health agency. This review could be for a regular survey, a problem with services, or a complaint. And the reviewer cites concerns about the current state of the organization. Examples could be lack of training, improper policies or procedures, or lack of sufficient documentation. Then the executive turns to them and argues about the findings.
Examples of this confronting behavior are as follows:
In all these cases, the conclusion is always the same; the executive loses. The aggressive tone does not go over well with governmental or accreditation personnel and makes the process worse. It clouds future decisions about the executive’s agency and creates a hostile environment.
Why does this occur?
One thought is that the executive may have a fixed mindset. In Dr. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, she discusses how individuals approach life with fixed or growth mindsets. We discussed Dr. Dweck’s work previously. The person operating from a growth mindset is willing to accept problems and learn from them, while the person with a fixed mindset cannot leave their comfort zone and finds fault or blame in others. They cannot take criticism or accept complications that put their life in turmoil.
How can executives change their strategy with surveyors or reviewers?
To be positive in these situations, the executive must understand the perspective of the reviewer. They are hired to find problems and solutions. It is their job to hold an organization accountable to a set of standards. When the organization doesn’t fit the standards (which will always happen because no one’s perfect), the reviewer’s role is to advise them of it. The reviewer doesn’t have an agenda, although at times the executive may think differently. Instead of finding fault with the results, the executive needs to step back and know each problem has a solution. Turning around the situation and being positive, understanding, and discovering how to make the corrections as quickly as possible. This approach converts the adversarial relationship into a cooperative one.
Praxes offers consulting services for agencies. For more information, please contact us.
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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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