Author: chris

Managed care has had a significant impact on the delivery of behavioral health services. This has influenced the way that the behavioral health industry conducts business. This week’s research paper will focus on the business of behavioral health.

Read the following articles from the EBSCO host database:

• Covall, M. (2005, January). Medicare prospective payment comes to        psychiatric hospitals. Behavioral Health Management, 25(1), 54–57.
• Oss, M. E. (2005). What’s next for managed behavioral health. (Cover story).Behavioral Health Management, 25(6), 11-14

You should also search the Internet to further learn about additional factors that influence the business model of behavioral health.

To complete this research paper, you will need to include an introduction and conclusion section as well as a title page and reference section. The paper should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The length of the paper should be 6 to 8 double-spaced pages (not including the title and reference pages).
• The main sections should have a:
  • Title page
  • Introduction
  • Body of the paper (with subheadings)
  • Conclusion
  • Reference page(s)
• The paper must use the APA format for citing sources and references.

Your paper introduction (one page) should include the following points:

• An overview of the research paper
• The purpose or objective of the research paper

The body of the paper (four to six pages) should address each of the following topics using information learned in the course, in combination with outside references:

• In today’s healthcare scenario, are behavioral health services viewed as a profession? How? Is behavioral health service different from the rest of the healthcare industry? If yes, how? If no, why?
• Describe the main reasons why behavioral healthcare may be reimbursed differently than any other healthcare services, in general. What factors need to be addressed based on the population served? Utilize your course and text readings to support your answers.
• What are some of the challenges faced by behavioral healthcare providers who operate in a managed care environment? What are some of the areas of conflict between behavioral healthcare providers and managed care? Which amongst these conflict areas do you think is the most crucial, and requires immediate attention, and why?
• Will the managed care environment be able to support the services required to provide effective residential treatment? In your opinion, what will a residential treatment facility need to continue providing effective treatment while still being able to get reimbursed, especially through Medicaid or Medicare services? (You can use the the CMS.gov Web site to get more information on these topics.)

Your conclusion (one page) should include the following points:

• What conclusions can you draw from your research that would demonstrate the role played by managed care in the behavioral health industry?
• If you were a manager of a behavioral healthcare organization, what changes would you bring to your ways of doing business to meet the consumers’ needs while still being able to be reimbursed for the services provided to the consumer?

Read The Case of the Misguided Supervisors in Chapter 14 of your text book. Use the Argosy University online library for additional research, and do the following in a Word document:

• In 1–2 paragraphs, summarize the case and your research that relates to the case.
• In 2–3 pages, answer the following:
  • Why would an organization care whether its supervisors speak in favor of or against union representation? Explain and justify your answer.
  • How could the hospital in this example have prepared its supervisors to understand their proper role during an organizing campaign? Explain and justify your answer.

With your answers demonstrate that your understanding of the concepts is thorough and complete. Support your assertions with evidence, citing the appropriate sources.

Apply the APA current guidelines to your work and use at least three resources in your response.

 

What is a database?

A database is a collection of data that is stored in a computer system. Databases allow their users to enter, access, and analyze their data quickly and easy. They’re such a useful tool that you see them all the time. Ever waited while a doctor’s receptionist entered your personal information into a computer, or watched a store employee use a computer to see whether an item was in stock? Then you’ve seen a database in action.

The easiest way to understand a database is to think of it as a collection of lists. Think about one of the databases we mentioned above– the database of patient information at a doctor’s office. What lists are contained in a database like that? Well, to start with, there’s a list of the customer names. Then, there’s a list of past appointments, a list with medical history for each patient, a list of contact information… and so on, and so on.

In this lesson you will learn about databases and learn how to use a program…Microsoft Access to create and maintain your own database.

 

There is a basic sequence of steps with Access that you need to follow in order to successfully create a database.    If you try to perform these steps out of sequence, you may encounter enough difficulties to jeopardize your overall success.

 

The steps are:

•  Create your database.   You only have to do this once, after that, you can open your existing database and make the necessary changes to it.
• Create each table in the database.    First you create the table, and then you create the fields (columns) that to in the table.    You have to repeat this step for each table in your database.   As you add each field, you must define any special field attributes, such as numeric, alpha-numeric, primary keys, field edits, table relationships, etc.
•  Load the data into your table.   There are a variety of ways to do this.   You can key it into the table, you can import it in from an Excel spreadsheet, or use a specially designed form that you designed to enter the data.
• Create your queries.  These queries will help you select specific records (rows) in your table, as well as update the data in your tables.
•  Create your forms.  Forms will provide a structured method to enter and maintain data in your database.
• Create your reports.   Reports allow you to select, sort, print, and perform calculations on your data so you can display a report.   Users can look at your reports online or in a hard copy format.

You will create a database in two different assignments.  Complete the first half in assignment one where you will create tables to define the data and add data.

In the second assignment, you will ask questions of the data through queries.

There are numerous tutorials and demonstrations to assist you in this process. Do not procrastinate and wait until the last minute to do this.  Good luck!

 

SOME HELPFUL VIDEOS:

This is just to help you with the assignments

Natalie Davies is a thirty-eight-year-old single mother of two—an eleven-year-old daughter, Brandi, and a seven-year-old third grader, Jenny. Natalie married young and never attended college. After her divorce four years ago, she went back to school and obtained a certificate in paralegal studies. After returning to the workforce, she was motivated by others, as well as her modest salary, to return to school to work on her bachelor’s degree. She tells family and friends that she wants to be a role model for her daughters and also wants to be able to provide for their college education when the time comes. Natalie decided to enroll in an online program to accommodate her work schedule and hectic family life that includes spending as much time as possible with her daughters, while also making time for herself. Natalie has hopes of working toward a master’s degree, possibly in counseling. Because of her two daughters and interest in working with people, she has decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology. A week after classes started, there was a commotion on Natalie’s block. Two police cruisers were at a house down the street, along with an unmarked police car. Natalie did not know the neighbor who lived there very well. It was another single mother with three young children. Natalie learned that the woman was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. Her three children were placed in foster care while the woman waited for trial, or could find the money to post her bond. Apparently, the woman was using painkillers that she had purchased from an undercover police officer. She had injured her back several years ago and became addicted to the pills. Although her injury no longer bothered her, she continued to use the painkillers. Her mood would fluctuate if she did not get the pills and she would at times take out her anger on the children. When using the pills, she was disoriented and would at times jeopardize her children’s safety. She wanted to go into rehab but could not afford the treatment. Natalie cannot decide who the victim in this crime is. Are the victims the children, the people without insurance, or society in general? Natalie’s daughters asked her why the neighbor was arrested and her children were in foster care away from their “mommy?”

Research the concept of “victimless crime” using the textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet. Select two resources for use in your discussion. Be sure that you have the following types of resources:

• A news media report of what may be considered a victimless crime, such as the given example.
• A scholarly, peer-reviewed article on the type of crime covered in your selected news media report. The peer-reviewed article should identify potential costs of the crime to society as well as intervention approaches.

Based on the scenario, and drawing on your readings and observations, respond to the following:

• Do you think the term victimless crime is misleading? Why or why not?

Write your initial response in 4–6 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

By Saturday, November 7, 2015, post your response to the appropriateDiscussion Area. Through Wednesday, November 11, 2015, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses.

Grading Criteria and Rubric

Note: All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

Written Assignment
Reflection Paper
Write a four page reflection paper in which you (1) examine and cite some of the key ideas and practices presented in this week’s reading and other resources and (2) compare them to experiences and practices you have encountered in your own spiritual journey.
The following questions may help you prepare and organize your ideas.
Make a list of at least one idea presented in each assigned resource.  Which ideas were new to you and which were practices already part of your life?
Review your responses to the Life map activity and the Guided Meditation Exercise.
How have you experienced or utilized some of the ideas you have identified?
Be sure your paper is a balance of ideas from the assigned resources and reflections from your personal experience.

Application: Quality Standards Comparison

For this week’s Discussion, you examined guidelines proposed by organizations involved in health care quality and patient safety.Whereas many of the guidelines addressed in the Discussion may be considered optional or supplementary, CMS standards (core measures) set a precedent for health care organizations throughout the United States. The “Hospital Compare” Web site presents information on quality captured for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, including core measures such as Heart Attack Process of Care Measures, Heart Failure Process of Care Measures, Pneumonia Process of Care Measures, and Surgical Care Improvement Project Process of Care Measures.

To prepare for this Application:

• Peruse the Hospital Compare Web site: http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html

  Click on the link at the right, Learn More about Hospital Process of Care Measures, and read this background information.

  Then read through the Process of Care measures at:

  http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/Data/Measures.html

• Evaluate the CMS standards (core measures).
• Compare the CMS standards with the guidelines proposed by one other organization of your choosing. (You may select the same organization you focused on in the Discussion, or choose a different one from that list.) Be sure to consider similarities and differences, as well as the strengths and limitations of each organization’s guidelines.

The Assignment

Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

• Analyze the CMS standards (core measures).
• Compare the CMS standards with the guidelines proposed by one other organization. Based on this comparison, would you recommend that a health care setting adopt this organization’s guidelines as supplementary to CMS’s? Why or why not?
• Briefly analyze the relationships among various aspects of health care quality and safety, including the creation of standards, accreditation, certification, credentialing, and continuing education. Describe the benefits and constraints associated with these approaches for promoting quality.

  Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and from additional scholarly sources as appropria

write in your journal by responding to at least threeof the following in at least 250 words:

• What is your experience with writing using proper grammar, punctuation, or appropriate sentence structure? What are your strengths and weaknesses in these areas? Are there ways to take advantage of your strengths and overcome your weaknesses in writing? If so, what are they?
• How important do you think mechanics–such as spelling, punctuation, and proper formatting–are in writing? For example, what would writing be like if there were no such standards?
• Describe how the language you use in writing is different from the language you use in everyday speech. Provide a couple of examples.
• Explain how the differences in audience (readers) should determine differences in the tone and diction (word choice) of writing. Provide examples of what kinds of writing are most appropriate for different audiences. Think about how you communicate in class, at work, or on any social media sites with friends or family

Briefly state the benefits derived from application of computer technology to controller  pilot communications.  Explore in detail the challenges or risks of using CPDLC.

Managed care has had a significant impact on the delivery of behavioral health services. This has influenced the way that the behavioral health industry conducts business. This week’s research paper will focus on the business of behavioral health.

Read the following articles from the EBSCO host database:

• Covall, M. (2005, January). Medicare prospective payment comes to        psychiatric hospitals. Behavioral Health Management, 25(1), 54–57.
• Oss, M. E. (2005). What’s next for managed behavioral health. (Cover story).Behavioral Health Management, 25(6), 11-14

You should also search the Internet to further learn about additional factors that influence the business model of behavioral health.

To complete this research paper, you will need to include an introduction and conclusion section as well as a title page and reference section. The paper should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The length of the paper should be 6 to 8 double-spaced pages (not including the title and reference pages).
• The main sections should have a:
  • Title page
  • Introduction
  • Body of the paper (with subheadings)
  • Conclusion
  • Reference page(s)
• The paper must use the APA format for citing sources and references.

Your paper introduction (one page) should include the following points:

• An overview of the research paper
• The purpose or objective of the research paper

The body of the paper (four to six pages) should address each of the following topics using information learned in the course, in combination with outside references:

• In today’s healthcare scenario, are behavioral health services viewed as a profession? How? Is behavioral health service different from the rest of the healthcare industry? If yes, how? If no, why?
• Describe the main reasons why behavioral healthcare may be reimbursed differently than any other healthcare services, in general. What factors need to be addressed based on the population served? Utilize your course and text readings to support your answers.
• What are some of the challenges faced by behavioral healthcare providers who operate in a managed care environment? What are some of the areas of conflict between behavioral healthcare providers and managed care? Which amongst these conflict areas do you think is the most crucial, and requires immediate attention, and why?
• Will the managed care environment be able to support the services required to provide effective residential treatment? In your opinion, what will a residential treatment facility need to continue providing effective treatment while still being able to get reimbursed, especially through Medicaid or Medicare services? (You can use the the CMS.gov Web site to get more information on these topics.)

Your conclusion (one page) should include the following points:

• What conclusions can you draw from your research that would demonstrate the role played by managed care in the behavioral health industry?
• If you were a manager of a behavioral healthcare organization, what changes would you bring to your ways of doing business to meet the consumers’ needs while still being able to be reimbursed for the services provided to the consumer?

Many years ago, while I was working for the postal service, I was pulled over by the Illinois Highway patrol for speeding. I denied that I was speeding and, perhaps somewhat foolishly told the highway patrol officer that I didn’t care what his radar gun said because it could not have been my car that he clocked on that radar gun. He gave me a ticket for driving 21 miles over the posted speed limit. I had to go to court. I had two passengers in the car. I called them as witnesses.

The first witness testified that:

(1) We drive to and from work together between 5 and 6 days a week.

(2) We have done so for the past 4 years.

(3) She has never seen or experienced me speeding.

(4) She hates when she is driving and I tell her that just because she is willing to pay the price for whatever she does is no reason to cause me to be late by her speeding and potentially causing the three of us to be late for work or worse.

(5) That the night the Highway Patrol Officer pulled me over I had been driving the car exactly as I always had whenever she was in the car with me.

(6) She stated that I was a very good judge of speed because every time she approached 10 miles over the posted speed limit I would chastise her.

(7) I testified that I was not speeding. I also testified that I saw the officer in the opposite bound lanes on the expressway and that at about the same time I saw him I had stated to my passengers that the Officer was going to do a “U-ee” and get the motorcycle off my right rear because the biker was bearing down on me really fast at about 20 over the speed limit.

For each of the above items 1-7, tell me if the testimony is “Lay or Expert or a blend of both lay and expert”. For each answer tell WHY it is either lay or expert testimony AND if it is not a blend of both expert and lay testimony tell me WHY it is NOT lay or why it is NOT expert testimony.