 In this summer edition of the Alameda TCOM newsletter, our spotlight agency is Portia Bell Hume Behavioral Health and Training Center (aka The Hume Center). Founded in 1993, The Hume Center started as an outpatient program serving the unserved population in Central Contra Costa County. It now offers 15 programs providing comprehensive behavioral health services across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties. The Hume Center began its implementation of the TCOM tools three years ago. The Hume Center caught our attention for being one of the first behavioral health organizations in Alameda County that trained all of their clinical supervisors as CANS trainers. Today it gains recognition for its implementation practices that align with the TCOM philosophy.  The Hume Center staff and volunteers at the Sevathon fundraiser and cultural celebration. Over the past few years, The Hume Center has seen transformation in their services, beginning with intake assessments, noting that the CANS and ANSA structure has helped to ensure a highly comprehensive assessment. Clinician Dr. Jamie Sayers, a 5-year Hume veteran, valued many aspects of the implementation. Dr. Sayers described the CANS and ANSA as "really helpful," and went on to say, "I’m glad we update it as frequently as we do.” Per Dr. Sayers, the county requirement to update the assessment at 6-month intervals has ensured routine review of progress in treatment, which has helped to highlight changes beyond the areas being tracked through treatment plans. Knowledgeable supervisors were listed as critical to this process. At The Hume Center, supervisors help to highlight treatment priorities and assist clinicians in developing the “golden thread” between the assessment and treatment plan.
One program manager and clinical supervisor, Dr. Shannon Stovall, weighed in on what makes The Hume Center unique in its use of the CANS & ANSA. She noted that they integrate training on the CANS and ANSA at the beginning of every training year, discussing how to use these as tools for conversation as well as to assist in monitoring clients’ needs. This has shifted the use of the CANS & ANSA to more than “just a form,” and instead has influenced conversations on clinical teams. Dr. Stovall reminds, “One child, one CANS,” emphasizing the importance of minimizing over-assessment of children, and encouraging providers to collaborate with one another and with families with the aim of identifying a shared vision for care. Now that’s what we call Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management!
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 On May 15, the Praed Foundation relaunched the Collaborative Training Website on a new platform. The new website includes changes in appearance, navigation and reporting capabilities. Important changes to the content structure will allow visitors to learn to use the TCOM tools more effectively.
The new training website is at https://www.Schoox.com/login.php Notable changes include:
There are also a lot of small changes that make the learning experience more effective. To login to the new platform for the first time, follow these steps:
The Provider Collaborative, your agency’s trainers, and the Praed Foundation are still available to provide coaching and feedback. You can contact an agency coach through the Collaborative Partners page or email the TCOM Training team directly at support@TCOMtraining.com.  In the Dear Collaborative column, we’ll answer YOUR questions about TCOM or the TCOM tools (CANS, ANSA-T, ANSA).
Have questions and want answers? Submit your questions through the Contact page and look for the answer in the next edition of Dear Collaborative. Submissions are treated confidentially. Q1: How do I score someone with a substance abuse history who hasn't used in 30 days? A1: This depends on the reasons for their 30-day abstinence. If the reason for the abstinence is that the client has engaged in voluntary recovery, then you would rate this item as at least a 1, indicating a recent history of substance abuse. If you and/or the individual feel that the risk of relapse is significant and that more planning is needed to support recovery plans, then this should override the “30‐day window” rule. If the reason for the abstinence is due to a situation in which the individual has no choice but to abstain (e.g. jail, or a locked detox program), then you would rate the item according to the individual’s Substance Abuse needs just prior to entering the program. Q2: I barely know this client at this early stage, but I need to turn in my assessment. What happens if I find out more about their actual treatment needs after I have completed the ANSA? A2: At any given time, we have incomplete knowledge about the people we work with. When paperwork is due, we capture only what we know about the client at that time and expect to learn more as we move forward together. As we learn more, we update our understanding of their needs, strengths and treatment planning implications. It is always possible to update your CANS or ANSA ratings and this is recommended if there are significant shifts in the client’s life, particularly if your treatment plan is shifting because of the changes. Q3: What should I put in the strengths domain if I can't identify any strengths? A3: In the Strengths domain, if there is no evidence of a particular strength, we rate it a score of 3. When planning treatment with the individual, family, and team, it is helpful to explore possible strengths or how the team can engage in strength building activities that suit the individual’s goals and desires. Each newsletter will feature top questions that are submitted to the Alameda TCOM Collaborative. If you have an urgent or critical CANS/ANSA -related question, you can contact your agency's CANS/TCOM Coordinator or one of the Collaborative Members. |
