Triage and Assessment

Standard

Assessment shall be multi-dimensional including individual, family, and community strengths, functional, psychiatric, medical, and social status as well as family support.

Implementation Guidelines

1. Cultural and demographic factors in the assessment process relating to age, gender, sexual orientation, and relational roles shall be addressed in the assessment of consumers from the four groups for both consumers and families.

2. The assessment shall identify beliefs and practices; family organization and relational roles (traditional and non-traditional); effects of ethnically-related stressors such as poverty and discrimination; beliefs related to health/mental health; attribution of condition; spirituality; and history at help-seeking and treatment. History of immigration, assimilation, or acculturation also shall be part of the assessment.

3. Clinical and functional assessment scales utilized by managed mental health care systems, organizations, or providers shall be culturally competent, reliable, and validated for use with racial/ethnic consumers and their families.

4. Systemic cultural and ethnic factors shall be addressed to ensure accurate assessment and service planning (e.g., linguistic barriers, differences in symptom expression, culture-bound syndromes).

5. Racial/ethnic Mental Health Specialists shall be involved, either directly or via consultation, especially at the time of care determination and prior to more restrictive placements, particularly with involuntary placement and treatment.

6. The consumer's preference for therapeutic linkages with the racial/ethnic community or family shall be considered prior to initiating service.

7. The use of family members as culturally informed individuals, including children when appropriate, shall be encouraged.

8. Linguistically and culturally appropriate admission/entrance forms and procedures shall be used.

Recommended Performance Indicators

1. Presence of specialized assessment procedures for consumers from the four groups.

2. Inclusion of cultural factors in the assessment of consumers from the four groups.

3. Inclusion of family members, as appropriate, and significant community stakeholders in the assessment process for consumers from the four groups. Documentation of efforts to include family and significant others, or rationale when not done.

4. Involvement of culturally competent racial/ethnic Mental Health Specialists in assessment and treatment planning process and at other critical treatment junctures.

5. The recognition of not attributing to culture what is the person's psychopathology.

Recommended Outcomes

1. Consumer, family, and stakeholder satisfaction with the assessment process.
   
   Benchmark: 90% satisfaction.

2. Consistency of service authorizations with utilization management practice for consumers from the four groups.
   
   Benchmark: Comparable across the four groups, and in general, increasing over time.

3. Reduction of frequency of treatment plan revisions resulting from inadequate diagnosis and assessment.
   
   Benchmark: Comparable across the four groups and decreasing over time.

4. Compliance with Guidelines for assessment.
   
   Benchmark: 90% compliance.

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