It’s no secret that the need for mental health services is rising. In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness or addiction problem; and, by the time they reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have, or have had, a mental illness. [i]
The increasing rate leads to increased demand for mental health services, which eventually leads to added pressure for the agencies providing support. Many of our partner agencies find themselves having to increase their client capacity and introduce new programs in order to meet this demand.
There does come a time when increasing client volume can become overwhelming and begin to affect the effectiveness of programs. Here are some of the most prevalent issues many agencies are dealing with:
Waiting list is becoming un-manageable.
- Clients are staying on the waiting list for far too long with no clear timeline.
- No way to manage priority status.
- Services offered are delayed.
- Referrals stop coming-in.
Clients begin missing appointments/staff overwhelmed.
- Clients aren’t keeping up with communication.
- Program progression is delayed.
- Staff are frustrated and missing hours.
- Operational effectiveness decreases.
Case notes missing from appointments/sessions.
- Staff cannot start where they left off
- Clients feel unheard or disappointed with progress.
- Managers/directors have no ability to audit
Reporting taking too long or unavailable.
- Hours wasted preparing internal or ministry reports.
- Administrative tasks taking days to complete.
- Client/staff data is jumbled and impossible to assess.
- Using 3-4 different software platforms. Ie. Outlook, Google Docs, etc.
So what can be done?
Of course, there is an almost countless number of other challenges facing our community partners on a daily basis; however, if you find yourself coming across these common issues consistently, it may be time to look at a mental health software better suited to your organizational needs.
EMHware provides a client management software that focusses on solving the aforementioned issues. Our streamlined and user-friendly platform allows for you and your staff to focus on helping clients achieve better outcomes, while also providing the ability to scale effectively with the increasing demand for services.
Let your organization grow with EMHware! To learn more about our platform, or to book a demo, click here today!
[i] Smetanin et al. (2011). The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011-2041. Prepared for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Toronto: RiskAnalytica.
