Change Model and Implementation Plan: Mental Health Education and EHRs

Change Model and Implementation Plan
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Change Model and Implementation Plan
Part D: Change Model
The clinical research question informing this project is: Does mental health education and sensitization programs among adults aged 18 and 30 compared to non-sensitization improve mental well-being over one month? Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model can be applied to engage the target population during the change intervention implementation. Using evidence-based change models provides an impetus for the intervention to be applied in related projects in the future (Small et al., 2016). This change model will be applied to implement the project making sure to follow through the respective stages identified above.
The first step entails creating a sense of urgency. Creating awareness concerning mental health crises can inspire the target population to think about, initiate, and sustain a change. Creating awareness by sharing the risk factors for mental health illnesses is a practical approach to establish urgency in the target population. The next step entails establishing a coalition or a team to start or mobilize the evidence-based change. Such a coalition involved the mental health education teams, the medical director, the target population, and the regular staff. That said, the third step includes creating the ideal future state (i.e., vision). This prompted a guiding team to express the strategy, purpose, as well as diverse approaches to reduce mental health incidence rates. The ultimate objective of this project entailed providing sensitization services for the target population or, rather, the appropriate patients and thus enhances their mental health wellbeing and outcomes (Hall, 2018). In order to obtain this vision, it was essential to work with multiple stakeholders within the implementation of sensitization program, designing of educational materials, as well as execution of education for the target population.
The fourth step is communicating the vision or strategy. In order for the proposed intervention to be successfully implemented, the strategy and vision should be disseminated to all partakers and shared to show commitment to meeting mitigate mental health problems. This communication started with sharing the vision of every patient, every visit, and every healthcare practitioner. Additional awareness efforts entailed emails to communicate project descriptions and sensitization materials, printed resources displayed within the clinic, individual discourses, as well as demonstration of documentation techniques and new guidelines. The fifth step entails eliminating obstacles (Hall, 2018). The strategies implemented included diverse education techniques to engage all the stakeholders to ensure sufficient participation and engagement.
The next step entails creating short-term wins. This communicates to stakeholders that their efforts are valuable and on the track towards attaining the long-term objective. The short-term wins entailed problem improvement evidence and regular volunteer support from the behavioral health coalitions. Penultimate, it is essential to consolidate the change by supporting and sustaining the mental well-being improvements in the target population. Ultimately, the changes are anchored. After the change is executed and outcomes proved operational, such improvements should become the practice culture to sustain better mental health outcomes in the long term (Hall, 2018). In addition, continuous support and encouragement from the staff to uphold the evidence-based health intervention by every practitioner for their patients is needed.
Part E: Implementation Plan
The resources needed to implement this project include collaboration with clinical workers, stakeholders’ time for participation and education, electronic health records (EHRs) reports on quality improvement, student time, volunteer education materials, staff, and technology needs. The clinical director worked as the medical liaison, and the mental health education team collaborated with the student conducting the evidence-based project for effective project design and execution. Educational resources comprised of guidelines, printed materials, guidelines for mental health improvement processes, as well as printed posters for quick access to information related to implementation of the evidence-based intervention (Hall, 2018).
Accordingly, specific process changes would need to happen. There is a potential problem associated with limited theoretical rationale for intervention planning because implementation strategies and tools are chosen as approaches to induce behavioral change and enhance mental health outcomes (Sales et al., 2006). Consequently, there is little rationale to believe that the implementation actions constituting the solution would mitigate mental health problems in the target population. In that vein, there is a need for a framework specifying rationales for behavioral changes at the individual level to be applied as an inherent component of the implementation planning procedure.
This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention via Kotter’s 8-Step change model to enhance screening and mental health treatment outcomes for behavioral health patients within a safety-net medical center. In order to assess the feasibility of the implementation plan, it is crucial to evaluate the process via the above change model. First, the implementation plan would include the necessary personnel to discuss the needed educational interventions. It is also essential to consider the pre-education interview for the patient to assess their understanding of the behavioral health treatment, screening, as well as referral processes available in the clinic and thus create urgency. In addition, the implementation plan would form a coalition with interested volunteers and staff. In that way, the education needs for the patients would be established, which helps create a vision for the project. These steps the feasibility of the project implementation plan as it is anchored on Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. The costs related to this problem include personnel, travel and accommodation, small equipment, educational supplies, and materials, among other related expenses [See appendix for the budget plan] (Hall, 2018).
Possible barriers to successful project implementation include a lack of clear objectives and success criteria. Lack of clear goals undermines project clarity as it becomes challenging to know when the implementation process is on track. In order to eliminate this barrier, an approach for measuring project progress would be designed anchored on quality threshold tests and critical milestones related to the project timeline. Another critical barrier is fear of stigmatization and ignorance among the participants. In order to mitigate this barrier, all the stakeholders would be briefed on the project rationale and objectives to eliminate self-stigma and possible negative views towards the mentally ill. Personal-related barriers, including resistance to the evidence-based intervention, are inherent to the project implementation process. Nevertheless, this problem could be eliminated by designing and implementing the project while ensuring the effective participation of all the project stakeholders.
The project timeline is based on the implementation model, Kotter’s 8-step change model. The step would include planning the meeting with the necessary personnel on November 30. Volunteer coordination activities will happen from November 30 to December 31. A sense of urgency and a coalition would be created on December 31 during pre-education interviews. After that, the documentation data would be obtained, chart reviewed, and generate a change management toolkit. By January 31, the education program would have been developed and implemented. The vision would also be communicated, and possible obstacles eliminated accordingly. After that milestone, information would be analyzed to help deduce inferences. The post-education interview will be implemented on February 28. Accordingly, a dashboard would be created to inform short-term wins. The final milestone would entail providing a toolkit and future planning, consolidating the change, and anchoring the changes.
References
Hall, L. E. (2018). Implementation of Evidence-based Culturally Adapted Interventions, Collaborative Care, and Change Management for Improved Mental Health Outcomes in a Community-based Safety-net Clinic.
Sales, A., Smith, J., Curran, G., & Kochevar, L. (2006). Models, strategies, and tools. Journal of general internal medicine, 21(2), S43-S49.
Small, A., Gist, D., Souza, D., Dalton, J., Magny-Normilus, C., & David, D. (2016). Using Kotter’s change model for implementing bedside handoff: a quality improvement project. Journal of nursing care quality, 31(4), 304-309.
Visual Paradigm. (2021). 8-step Change Model Template. Retrieved from https://online.visual-paradigm.com/diagrams/templates/kotters-8-step-change-model/8-step-change-model-template/
Appendix A
Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model
Appendix B
Budget Plan
Resources

Rationale/Justification

Time

Cost

Personnel

Executive director of health sciences (project director)

30 percent



On-site preceptor – provided guidance on the project, participated in the advisory task force and offered expertise in cultural diversity needs.

2 percent



The counseling center psychologist offered necessary statistical support.

1 percent



The administrative assistant for the project director offered administrative assistance.

2 percent



The Counseling Center receptionist offered administrative support.

1 percent



Students enrolled in the public health psychology course helped in collecting data using the iPods.



Travel and accommodation.

One round-trip, four days housing, and project presentation.


$500

Small Equipment.

Five iPods to gather pre- and post-sensitization data purchased with the university’s funds.



Supplies and materials.

Miscellaneous materials and office supplies.


$100