Improving Care for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness - A Systems & Data Mapping Approach

CHP Bright Spot: Improving Care for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness - A Systems & Data Mapping Approach

The Louisiana Public Health Institute worked with AcademyHealth's Community Health Peer Learning Program to address a lack of data and cross-sector communication to improve the care and outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness.

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Leveraging the power of health information technology (HIT) to improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) or serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI), the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) started with the data. Specifically, they convened a unique group of stakeholders to map the process through which individuals and their data flow through the behavioral health crisis system in New Orleans.

The exercise involved mapping key touchpoints in the health care and criminal justice systems, reaching a common understanding of how data are currently accessed and used to support decision-making at each point of the system, and identifying gaps in available data needed to effectively provide and coordinate care. This bright spot highlights the process undertaken by the Crescent City Participant Community to facilitate the collaborative mapping exercise, and illustrates its value to a community-driven planning process.

To read other bright spots from the Community Health Peer Learning Program, visit academyhealth.org/CHPBrightSpots.