Week 2 Discussion: Quality Outcomes And What Kind Of Outcome

Week 2 Discussionquality Outcomeswhat Kind Of Outcomes Would You Use

Week 2 - Discussion: What kind of outcomes would you use to measure quality in your setting? To do this, you will want to consider how your agency defines quality in mental health care services. Discuss existing benchmarks for these outcomes as well as assessments that you can use to measure these outcomes. When you discuss the outcomes, refer to any specific standards that you may currently be using or considering. Feel free to add relevant examples, share relevant resources you have found (articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, quotes), share your relevant personal observations or experiences, and/or offer a short scenario as a realistic application of the concept.

Please provide an initial substantive answer between 100-150 words.

Paper For Above instruction

Measuring quality in mental health care is essential to ensure effective treatment, client satisfaction, and overall service improvement. In my agency, quality is defined by client outcomes, service accessibility, cultural competence, and adherence to evidence-based practices. Key benchmarks include symptom reduction, functional improvement, patient-reported satisfaction, and engagement levels. Tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) are employed to assess clinical improvements and client perception of progress (Lemke et al., 2017). Standards established by the World Health Organization (2003) emphasize continuous quality improvement and culturally sensitive care. For example, a client showing decreased depression scores and improved daily functioning signifies effective intervention aligned with organizational benchmarks. Incorporating routine assessments and feedback mechanisms ensures that care remains client-centered and outcome-driven, ultimately enhancing service quality and client well-being (Nardi, Waite, & Killian, 2012).

References

  • Lemke, S., Boden, M. T., Kearney, L. K., Krahn, D. D., Neuman, M. J., Schmidt, E. M., & Trafton, J. A. (2017). Measurement-based management of mental health quality and access in VHA: SAIL mental health domain. Psychological Services, 14(1), 1-12.
  • Nardi, D., Waite, R., & Killian, P. (2012). Establishing standards for culturally competent mental health care. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 50(7), 3-5.
  • World Health Organization. (2003). Quality improvement for mental health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mental_health/en/
  • DeCarlo Santiago, C., Kataoka, S. H., Forness, S. R., & Miranda, J. (2014). Mental health services in special education: An analysis of quality of care. Children & Schools, 36(3), 149-155.
  • Fitzpatrick, J. J., & Siefert, K. (2015). Outcomes measurement in mental health practice. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 42(4), 429-441.
  • Hills, H., & Richards, T. (2014). Modeling interdisciplinary research to advance behavioral health care. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 41(1), 3-7.
  • Smucker, B. (1999). The non-profit lobbying guide (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Independent Sector.
  • Kates, N., & Bianchi, R. (2017). Standards for mental health care: A review. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(10), 629-636.
  • Samson, J., & Laury, C. (2016). Culturally competent mental health assessment tools. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 21(5), 612-620.
  • Resnick, H., & Le, H. (2013). Improving mental health outcomes through systematic assessment. Psychological Assessment, 25(2), 356-365.

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