Problem Statement
Improve access to Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) Program.
Aim
ACTT will reduce the number of clients on active caseload who score 2.8 or greater on the ACTT Transitional Readiness (ATR) by June 30, 2017 by 15 percent
EQIP Support to the Project
- QI Coach: Kim Elke
- Data Coach: Andrew Span
Project Overview
The Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) services see some of the most vulnerable people with mental illness, and support them to live in the community.
CMHA Kenora Branch recognized that the flow-through of clients in their ACTT team was quite slow, and there was an assumption that they were keeping clients on the ACTT caseload longer than they needed to. This meant that the wait list for services is very long for others who need this high degree of support to live in the community.
Through the Be Mind Full EQIP project, their aim was to increase the ACTT fluidity.
At the diagnostic step, it became clear that the insurmountable root cause of the lack of fluidity was that there was a complete gap in services — there is no step-down service to transition clients to, and no psycho-geriatric outpatient services, and very limited services for anyone over the age of 55 with mental health issues.
In retrospect, perhaps the team should have concluded this focus and project after the diagnostic phase when this insurmountable challenge was discovered. However, the team pushed forward, and there were some creative solutions that were identified, including creating a step-down service within CMHA’s existing ACTT.
Despite the fact that they weren’t able to move through all the QI tools, the team and other colleagues at CMHA Kenora still learned a lot. Equally importantly, the ACTT team felt valued and appreciated by being included in the discussion and idea development for program changes. It was a good team building experience.
[sidenote]“By working through the critical thinking, diagnostic tools and project charter for this work, the team has gained a better understanding and appreciation of the QI process.”[/sidenote] “By working through the critical thinking, diagnostic tools and project charter for this work, the team has gained a better understanding and appreciation of the QI process,” explains Kim Elke, CMHA QI Coordinator and EQIP coach. “We’ll definitely be using these tool in other projects in the future.”
CMHA Kenora’s project serves as an important reminder that not all projects are a huge success, but it’s important to learn from them and move forward. “There’s a lot of growth and innovation that happens with failure, and we’re making the most of that,” says Kim Elke.