CarePlus InsideLIne
August 2015 - In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer.

Upcoming
Events 
  
 
 
4th Annual "Golfers Give Back"
Charity Outing
September 21st
 

Youth Mental Health First Aid

 7 Clinical CEUs

Sept. 30th - 9:00 am - 5:00 pm  

 

Full 2015-2016 CPI Workshop & Training Schedule

 

50/50 Tickets Available
 
The Foundation's 4th Annual
"Golfers Give Back" Golf Outing
is coming up on Monday, September 21st.
Once again we have 50/50 raffle tickets available for purchase.

Tickets are $10 each and there are
10 tickets in a book.

Last year's 50/50 pot totaled over $7,000!

Contact Alexis to purchase tickets for yourself, family and friends!  
CarePlus Wellness

For a Happy, Healthy Workplace.

 

Water

It's common knowledge that we need to drink a lot of water throughout the day to stay healthy and hydrated - are you getting your recommended 64 oz per day?

 

The truth is you may need more
than the fabled 8 cups a day.

 

Benefits of Drinking Enough Water:

Maximized Performance

Increased Energy and Brain Function

Prevention & Treatment for Headaches
Healthy Digestion
Weight Management 

 

***

Employee Primary Care

You've asked for it, and now you have it! 


As part of recognizing the importance of having a culture of wellness in the workplace, Primary Care Services are now available
on-site for staff covered under the CarePlus health plan.

 

A quick and convenient way to access primary care services*, including but not limited to:

  • Medical Evaluation
  • Needed medications prescribed and renewed
  • Blood Pressure Monitoring
  • Administration of needed vaccines and TB testing
  • Bloodwork
  • Annual physicals

*All information shared with medical staff is confidential


The first 19 staff members to utilize these services will receive a grocery gift card!
 

Call to make your appointment today...
CarePlus Primary Care at 201-986-5024
Hours of Operation: Tues-Thurs 8am-4pm

 

Health Management Solutions
Request for Referrals 
 
WHAT CAN HMS DO TO HELP CLIENTS?

Health Management Solutions can:
  • Provide community support for the transition from a hospital setting back into the community via face-to-face outreaches during a client's inpatient admission and following a client's discharge from a hospital.
  • Consult with a client's primary treatment providers to develop individualized care plans to promote integrated care and to improve health outcomes. In addition, HMS will coordinate with treating clinicians to assure services are provided and to make certain that changes in treatment or medical conditions are addressed.
  • Identify resources and link clients to community support programs as needed.
  • Work with family members to support a client's effective utilization of available treatment and services.  
     
WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION? 
  • Referrals to HMS can be made for Bergen County residents who have Medicaid and who are diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
  • The following diagnosis are excluded except in the case of dual diagnosis in which case the individual's clinical profile will be evaluated on a case by case basis:
    • Major Depression and other depressive disorders;
    • Developmental Disability (unless co-occurring with an Axis I diagnosis within the inclusionary criteria;
    • Delirium, Dementia and Amnesic and other Cognitive Disorders;
    • Substance Related Disorders (unless co-occurring with the Axis I diagnosis within the inclusionary criteria).
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
  • Jessica Shea        (201) 796-9479
  • Sean Sundberg   (201) 478-4162
  • Kathy Bianco       (201) 986-5032 
Development Committee

Moving Forward with Success

 

In the powerful wake of a wonderful Gala, the Development Committee is striving to continue to impress. In order to continue to raise the bar and grow as an organization, this year we will be focusing on building strong relationships with current and future donors.

 

If networking and creating connections for big sponsorship opportunities is in your skill set, please consider working with the Development Committee so that we may provide great support for the programs and services offered through CarePlus.

 

We are grateful for every committee member that has committed their time and effort with us.

 

It's not too late to join the Development Committee - all are welcome! If you can only make a few meetings that is okay - every little bit of time counts.

 

Your support is helpful and valued. 

 

Golf Committee Meeting

Tuesday, September  1, 2015  8:30AM

 

Shout out to Eddie and Ang 
Children's Mobile Response 
 
Jessica Shea received a voicemail from a mother that could not say enough positive things about Eddie's work with her family. Eddie responded to the home and also fielded the mother's call on a Saturday when her daughter needed to be hospitalized.

Among many things she was grateful for, she highlighted that Eddie quickly linked her daughter to a psych evaluation (thanks to Ang for letting us know there was a cancellation) and  recommended a therapist that had a specialty the youth was in need of. He also kept in contact with her and provided support through the multiple days her daughter was hospitalized.

As always, thank you for your hard work Eddie! You are such an asset to our team. And thank you Ang and the rest of the admissions team for being so on top of those psych evaluations!!!

Together we really do make a difference for families!

News from Human Resources

We want to welcome
Tatiana Popescu (Ext: 5416)
who is our newest Human Resources Specialist. Tatiana has experience in employee training and development, new hire orientation, employee relations as well as other Human Resources functions.
Tatiana will handle Recruiting and Resume Distribution, ICIMS Troubleshooting, Student and/or Volunteer Processing and Electronic Employee Changes.

Please extend your warmest welcome to her as she begins her role in HR.

The other HR functions are:
 
Jill Pinoargotty (EXT: 5228) effective August 17, 2015, has a new part-time position handling Compliance, Internal HR Record Audits and assisting with Policy and Procedures Distribution
 
Lindsay Rivera (EXT: 5226) handles Onboarding (i.e. New Hires, Volunteers and Students), Credentialing, Professional License Verification, Exit Interviews, Training Coordination and Relias/e-learning
 
Susan Bell (EXT: 5211) is in-charge of Health Benefits (i.e. enrollment, changes and termination), Retirement Benefits, Employee Assistance Program Information Distribution, and conducts Agency Orientation
 
Aline Deer (EXT: 5231) processes Leave of Absences, Data Collection and Reporting, Voluntary Benefits (i.e. Aflac, Credit Union etc.), Worker's Compensation Claims and Short-Term Disability Claims

Angela Mallon (EXT:5213) handles Employee Complaints/Investigations, Management Trainings, Labor and Employee Relations.  
 
Employee Assistance Program

Did you know that you have access to resources pertaining to everyday life right at your fingertips?  Get educated on what is available to you through the care CarePlus EAP. With this Employee Assistance Program, you will have access to information and resources for family, health, money and much more.   

This EAP also features free Webinars, a monthly newsletter and tips for daily living.  These are just a few of the resources you will find... 

Be sure to explore the website: http://www.careeap.net/ 
Login: CPNJ Password: 123  
  
Webinar of the Month
Strategies for Multigenerational Caregiving 8/18/15 - 12 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time  

Learn about the emotional and financial impact of being a member of the sandwich generation. Discover coping mechanisms that help restore work-life balance and support resilience.  
If you have any questions, please contact Susan Bell in the Human Resources Department at [email protected] or call 201-843-5218, extension 5211. 

Announcing the 2015-16 Schedule

Continuing Education Workshops

 

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015

9:00 am - 1:30 pm  

 

School Avoidance:
Managing the Complicated Adolescent
in the Public School Setting

Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015

10:30 am - 3:00 pm

 

Trauma-Informed Care
Assessments and Practice:
A New Generation of Service Delivery

Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

 

Tourette's Disorder: Misunderstood
and Often Misdiagnosed...
And More Common Than You Think

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

 

 Cross-Cultural Competence Skills for Professionals in Social Service Fields

Monday, Feb. 8, 2016

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

 

Evolving Diagnostic Changes with
Autism and Early Diagnosis

Thursday, Mar. 10, 2016

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

 

HIPAA: What Are Your Professional Responsibilities?

Thursday, May 19, 2016

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

 

Mental Health First Aid

Thursday, June 9, 2016

9:00 am - 5:00 pm   

 

 Register Online Now! 

 

Just in Time!
 
Over the course of the last year, several members of our leadership team (coined the "Rapid Cycle Change Team") have been working closely with MTM Services who - in partnership with the National Council for Behavioral Health - have led over 700 behavioral health organizations across the country in adapting to changing healthcare delivery and payment systems. With the support of our MTM consultant, and by utilizing proven industry standards, our Rapid Cycle Change Team (RCCT) was successful in producing notable outcomes and improvements in our outpatient level services, across multiple programs.

From the onset, our target areas of interest included accurate billing, client registration time, as well as clinician and prescriber productivity. Baseline data were measured within our out-patient level services throughout the organization. In order to improve overall efficiency, consumer and staff satisfaction, and increase revenue, the RCCT implemented the following changes:
  • The No-Show Policy was revised to include best practices as well as empower clients to increase accountability and understanding of their role in reaching their treatment goals.
  • Collaborative Documentation was fully implemented following staff training and a six week pilot launch.
  • Client registration time via phone and in person was reduced by 22% for both staff and clients.
  • Clinicians participated more globally in Centralized Scheduling and Productivity was reviewed and incentivized.
  • A new method for scheduling appointments with psychiatric prescribers was initiated, called Just in Time. This shift addressed long wait times between medication monitoring appointments, and frequent no-shows by empowering clients to call in ten days before a needed medication refill and ensuring their ability to gain a rapidly scheduled appointment.
  • In addition, for clients who missed a scheduled appointment, No-Show Clinics are now offered twice weekly at two different sites to limit missed medication dosages. Clients may attend up to twice in a six month period as clinically appropriate.
  • Prescribers were trained in accurate coding for services provided, so that we appropriately code and therefore receive higher reimbursement for more in-depth services provided.
Following the implementation of the aforementioned, the RCCT was very excited to share our positive results:
  • No-show rates for medication monitoring appointments decreased from 17% in January 2015 to 8.5% in June 2015.
  • The volume of clients seen for medication monitoring appointments increased from 810 in May 2015 to 1115 in June 2015. This 38% increase in direct services yields a revenue increase of $16,446 for the month of June.
  • Overall clinician productivity increased from an average of 57% in September 2014 to 67% in June 2015, meaning more clients are able to receive direct clinical services in a given month.
  • Consumer surveys yielded a 90% satisfaction rate when clients were first asked to partner with their clinicians and take part in documenting their own progress notes.
  • The time-saving of 70-90 minutes in client registration time equates to a cost-saving of $18,815.19 per month, or over $225,000 annually.
     
Although the contracted consultation with MTM is complete, members of our RCCT and leadership team will continue to monitor these processes to sustain our progress and continue to streamline our workflow, further improve client and staff satisfaction, decrease redundancy and increase revenue. Specific areas of focus include decreased client wait times from first phone call to first appointment and decreased no-show rates for initial appointments.
 
We wish to applaud the ongoing efforts of the RCCT
 

Jaime Arlia

Director of Admissions & Triage

Tara Augustine

Senior Vice President

Laura Del Tufo

Associate Vice President for Clinical Administration

Lorna Gazic

Medical Services Office Manager

Lorelle Holway

Director of Crossroads to Wellness

Victoria Madden

Intake/Discharge Coordinator

Kris Pendy

Senior Vice President

Jessica Shea

Director of HMS/BHH & CMRSS

Gabriella Urato

Medical Social Worker

Barbara Yearing

OPD Clinical Manager

Ann Marie Zihal

Director of Clinical Services

 


Please join us in congratulating
Trieviette Adams
on her promotion as the Administrative Support for Crossroads to Wellness,
effective Monday, June 8.

We are looking forward to Trieviette bringing her enthusiasm to this role and providing full support to the Crossroads to Wellness Team. 

 
Heat Advisory

Drugs that increase heat sensitivity can interfere with sweating, increase the body's heat generation, deplete its water or salt stores, or dull the sense of thirst. Protective measures when it's hot or humid include limiting your exertion, drinking plenty of water, and asking your doctor about adjusting the dosage or timing of your medication before exercising.
 
In anticipation of the upcoming warm weather we would like to remind all staff of summer heat and sun risks which may effect our patients taking psychotropic medications.
 
The following information is taken for the NJ Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and Hospitals brochure:
 
Major tranquilizers may impair the body's ability to regulate it's own temperature.  During hot and humid weather individuals taking major tranquilizers are at increased risk of developing excessive body temperature.  Those with medical conditions are especially vulnerable e.g. heart and pulmonary disease, diabetes and alcoholism, etc.
 
Heat exhaustion is the most common heat-related condition, which is most likely to occur in people who are involved in physical activity outdoors during heat waves.
 
Heat Stroke is a more serious condition of dehydration and salt depletion which can be life threatening.
 
The following are preventive measures which patients should be aware of:
 
When there are periods of high temperatures and humidity, there are things everyone (and particularly, people at high risk) should do to lessen the chances of heat related illness:
  • Avoid overexertion, particularly during warmer periods of the day.
  • Apply sun block as needed.
  • Keep windows shut, and shades or blinds drawn during the heat of day.  (Open windows in the evening or night hours when the air outside is cooler).
  • Move to cooler rooms during the heat of day.
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Dress in loose fitting, light colored clothing.
  • Lose weight if you are overweight.
  • Eat a little more salt, unless your diet prohibits it.
If you have any questions regarding the above precautions, please stop by medical services.
 
Do YOU have a story to share? If you have a story, update, announcement, photos to share here, on Facebook, or on the website send it to the ACE team and we will work to get it out to staff and friends of CarePlus.
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Obligatory disclaimer ("the gray area"): This newsletter is compiled by humans, and you know how humans are: we make occasional mistakes - not too many, but they do happen. Please do not consider a rush in judgment. We - "the humans" - apologize in advance for any omissions, inaccuracies, misspellings, and flagrant discombobulations. Should you desire to suggest a correction or addition, please email Caitlyn.


You can even just email if you'd like to say you do (or do not) like the Inside Line, however no cursing or inflammatory remarks, please, as we are humans.