Consider this… A person struggling with addiction has finally decided to reach out for help. They call your clinic to ask for guidance. Your front desk listens as they describe their issue and start to get emotional. It sounds like they might have depression which you don’t have the resources to treat, so your front desk tells them you can’t help and gives them another number to call.
They call the second number and are told that it sounds like they have a different issue than what they are describing and are given yet another number to call. They call the third number and are told that there is no help for them because they also need housing and are given another program to call. At this point, after emotionally describing their story to three separate people who have not helped, the individual gives up.
Why Use Central Intake?
The previous scenario is why a good intake process is important for your agency. It is a challenge to get an individual in need to seek services. When individuals are constantly shuffled among different phone numbers, the likelihood that they will continue to pursue help lessens. When utilizing central intake, they make one phone call. With this process, treatment begins from the moment the person is ready and reduces the administrative barriers to obtaining that treatment.
Most agencies have some form of central intake or what they refer to as central intake; however, achieving the concept of a pure, seamless central intake procedure continues to be a challenge for many agencies and programs.
Two Types of Central Intake
There are two types of central intake: intra-agency and inter-agency.
Intra-agency is when multiple services are coordinated within one agency. These services can either be contained on one physical site or multiple sites. This is useful for larger agencies that have many different services to offer their clients.
Interagency is utilized when services are coordinated among multiple agencies. It allows a variety of unduplicated services to be provided to assist the patient.
While a central intake program might seem challenging, it is doable! Here are 4 tips that will guide you in implementing a new program or assessing your current one.
#1 – Assess Your Current Model
We know it is important to evaluate current situations before making changes. Working with your intake program is no different. Some questions to consider when assessing your current situation:
- What is your current process? What about it is effective?
- Are individuals properly recommended into a program?
- What are the common issues your clients struggle with?
- What are your busy times?
- Who is available to your clients when they are in need?
- Who is being referred elsewhere and why?
- Where are you getting referrals from?
Once you assess your current situation, you can decide which areas you need to focus on and how to allocate your resources to have a properly functioning office.
#2 – Consider Future Needs
When assessing and implementing a central intake office, it’s easy to focus on your current way of operating and your present needs. However, it is also important to think about the future. Are you looking to grow your agency within the next few years? Are you looking to develop more partnerships with other agencies in the area? How are you gathering data to identify gaps in your services? These questions can help you to develop a plan for how your program will grow in the next few years and what resources it will need.
Be sure to remain up to date with new program directions as driven by regulatory changes, state or local initiatives, and the ever-changing provider landscape. Consider new program models and research and developments in your field to ensure that you provide individuals seeking services with the best possible care.
#3 – Consider Open Access
Open access is designed to reduce the number of no-shows and to serve your client’s immediate needs more efficiently. The idea is to offer immediate service to walk-in appointments because the sooner a patient seeking treatment is engaged in it, the more likely they are to remain committed. Individuals are engaged because they are seen faster, and they can start to get comfortable with the idea of treatment.
Open access scheduling also increases the agency’s productivity as persons seeking attention are still being seen even if there is a cancellation or a no-show appointment. Many programs struggle with open access and their ability to manage appropriate staffing; however, coordination of services and a clearer central intake process can ensure that staff scheduling and logistics are organized effectively.
#4 – Start Treatment in the Opening Call
To fully understand the client’s needs, the initial contact must ask more than simple demographic questions. Assessing the situation to determine the client’s immediate needs is just as critical as obtaining their insurance information. It is also imperative that the initial assessor is trained properly and can answer questions and make key decisions.
Having someone with a counseling background who is empathetic and nurturing can be helpful as that first phone call might need to be therapeutic. If this does not meet your staffing patterns or focus, then an examination of critical training for the front desk is essential.
Streamline Your Agency Operations
From intakes to outcomes, Procentive is dedicated to providing you with the tools and technology to run an efficient and effective agency. Schedule a demo today to learn about our EHR and the features that can help make your intake process more pleasurable for patients.
