Mental-health study: Service little improved

Local mental-health services have made little progress, if not slipped in some areas, during the past two years, according to a study of patients and providers released yesterday by the Mental Health Association of Forsyth County.

Even as advocates and providers expressed disappointment with the overall lack of progress, however, the results didn't spur a new wave of finger pointing.

Andy Hagler, the executive director of the association, took that as another sign that the community is trying -- gingerly -- to focus more on improving services than on politics and personalities.

"I believe we took another small step forward with how the presentation was received," Hagler said.

"But there still needs to be a lot of stepping up to the plate by everybody -- advocates, providers, stakeholders. We all need to take ownership in fixing the problems."

The association's anonymous survey of 220 local recipients and 83 staff providers was its second since 2006. The full survey will be made available March 15.

Liz Arnold, the president-elect of the association's board of directors, said that conducting a satisfaction survey is important since "those who are satisfied tend to stay in treatment, and those who stay in treatment to do better."

The survey found more of a decline in satisfaction among staff than patients.

For example, 67 percent of staff said that they liked the overall services they provide compared with 74 percent in the 2006 survey.

By comparison, 68 percent of patients said they like the services they were receiving, barely up from 67.4 percent in 2006.

Just 46 percent of patients said that local mental-health services were meeting their needs compared with 55.3 percent in 2006. From the staff's perspective, 12 percent agreed that local services were meeting patients' needs compared to 11 percent in 2006.

"We had hoped that the numbers would be higher," said Laurie Coker, who serves on the boards of several local mental-health groups. "I'm still concerned that we're still hospitalizing too many people who don't require it and who could be treated by more intensive services in the local community."

There was a slight decrease in the number of patients who felt free to complain about services from both groups. Arnold attributed some of the decrease to a fear, "whether perceived or real," that if patients complained they would lose what services they had "and would be left with nothing."

The association's main recommendations appeared to draw support from most of the attendees -- tracking patients through the local mental-health sector to measure their satisfaction rate and setting specific targets for satisfaction ratings and outcomes.

"We need to see what the problems are from that direction, where people are falling out of the system and where to put resources to provide help," Arnold said.

Suggestions from the attendees included: adding a blog for fielding comments from the community; evaluating the physical needs of mental-health patients; expanding into children's mental-health issues; and participating in a federal pilot program for expanded Medicaid coverage.

The presentation was attended by Betty Taylor, the chief executive of CenterPoint Human Services; Dudley Watts, the manager of Forsyth County; and Beaufort Bailey, the Forsyth commissioner appointed to CenterPoint's board.

Some advocates complained, however, that too few of the 16-member CenterPoint board members were there to hear the report.

Taylor said that her board will receive a presentation from the association at a coming meeting.

Taylor has been the target of criticism by advocates over the recent health-care and financial performances of CenterPoint.

"What I have heard here tonight is concern about moving the process forward, and more of a sense of the community coming together," Taylor said.

One example of increased community cooperation is CenterPoint, Forsyth Medical Center and the N.C. Division of Health and Human Services entering into a contract to expand local access to short-term acute inpatient care for CenterPoint patients.

However, Jo Haubenreiser, the vice president of Behavioral Health Services at Forsyth Medical Center, said that the hospital has no involvement with CenterPoint's arrangement with Old Vineyard Behavioral Health Services.

■ Richard Craver can be reached at 727-7376 or at rcraver@wsjournal.com.

Recommendations

The Mental Health Association of Forsyth County made two main recommendations from its 2008 study:

• Tracking patients through the local mental-health sector to measure their satisfaction rate and determine where there are problem areas for patients.

• Setting specific targets for satisfaction ratings and outcomes.

Other suggestions from local advocates and providers included adding a blog for fielding comments from the community; evaluating the physical needs of mental-health patients; expanding into children's mental-health issues; and participating in a federal pilot program for expanded Medicaid coverage.

Source: Mental Health Association of Forsyth County