The Challenge
The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) was responsible for implementing programs to fulfill a “Statewide Vision for Children and Families with Special Needs.” By definition, children with special needs - particularly multiple needs - are a diverse population requiring a diversity of services and supports. The goal was to create a single point of entry through which families of children with special health care needs could access basic services and specialized clinical evaluation and assessment services.
The Opportunity
The Comprehensive Evaluation, Diagnosis, Assessment, Referral, and Reevaluation (CEDARR) Program Initiative was created. CEDARR Family Centers, certified by DHS, would provide care coordination for Medicaid-eligible children under the age of 21 who had special needs related to autism spectrum disorders, behavioral health disorders, technology dependent care, severe medical or physical disabilities, and/or developmental disabilities. But keeping track of activities and outcomes would pose an enormous administrative burden on the Centers.
The Solution
ABH worked with the State of Rhode Island and CEDARR Family Center providers to create a comprehensive information system that supports multiple purposes, including:
- Tracking demographic and clinical information
- Ensuring that all families received appropriate assessments, care plans, and coordination of services
- Performing regular reviews and periodic modifications of family care plans
- Documenting service utilization and outcomes
- Creating HIPAA-compliant claims extracts
The Outcome
Centralized data management made it possible to track the delivery, and evaluate the effectiveness, of services to hundreds of families by multiple providers, both public and private, in multiple locations throughout the state. The uniformity of the system allows the easy exchange of information between centers to expedite care coordination when families move from one CEDARR Family Center to another, and also permits the construction of interfaces with other data systems resident in other state agencies.
|
|
