SAMPLE
Policy and Procedures / Pages
3 / Number
8.12
References
DMH Core Rules: / Chapter – Eight (8)
General Program Requirements
Section – Twelve (12)
Centralized Scheduling
DRAFT / Applicability
Clinical Services / Effective
Purpose: To establish a service rule pertaining to scheduling procedures to promote effective treatment practices, efficient programs and comprehensive service availability to communities served.
  1. POLICY

AGENCY shall provide standard procedures for office staff regarding the scheduling of consumer appointments in scheduling system and managing the clinicians’ schedules by the Office Support Assistant(s) (CSR) within the Centralized Scheduling Department.

  1. DEFINITIONS
  1. Cancellation

Failure on the part of the consumer toprovide adequate twenty-four (24) hour notification of a cancelled appointment.

  1. PROCEDURES
  1. Scheduling Appointments-

Appointments shall be scheduled for active consumers only. The CSR will verify the status of the consumer to determine if an appointment can be scheduled. If a new consumer or one whose services have been closed requests an appointment, they will be referred for a walk-in assessment to determine eligibility for services.

  1. Physician’s Services
  • Physician appointments will be scheduled by an CSR/Centralized Scheduler following their appointment.
  • The CSR will consult the physician and CSS schedules and provide the appointment that coincides with a time that is convenient for the consumer should the CSSs presence be required at a physician’s services appointment.
  • The consumer will be provided with an appointment card with all pertinent information.
  1. Community Support Specialists and ATS Staff

Direct care staff at AGENCY shall utilize the CSR/Centralized Scheduler to schedule appointments with their consumers.

  1. Clinicians shall initially provide schedule information 90 days in advance.

Information regarding staff schedule shall include, but is not limited to

  • Standing appointments;
  • All-staff meetings;
  • Team meetings; and
  • Physician appointments

Updates to staff schedule shall be completed on a monthly basis. Vacation/PTO requests shall be turned in to the direct supervisor. Approval of vacation/PTO shall be relayed to the CSR/Centralized Scheduler to be incorporated into the clinician’s schedule.

  1. Confirmation Calls

AGENCY’s Centralized Scheduling Department shall provide calls to consumers to confirm scheduled appointments.

  1. Confirmation calls will be made to finalize appointment times with consumers forty-eight (48) hours prior to the home or office based appointment.
  1. Another confirmation call will be made twenty-four (24) hours prior to the appointment time.
  1. CSR staff shall document all confirmation calls on an appointment confirmation log.
  1. If phone is busy, the CSR will attempt the confirmation call a second time.
  1. If voicemail is an option and a consumer is not available, a message shall be left with the consumer to contact the CSR/Centralized Scheduler as soon as possible to confirm the appointment time.
  1. Cancellations and Missed Appointments

Cancellations (by staff) and missed appointments(by consumer) shall be reported to the CSR/Centralized Scheduler by the clinician as they occur. If appropriate according to the FGC “Missed Appointments” policy, the CSR/Centralized Scheduler will reschedule the consumer appointment as soon as possible or will place the consumer on the clinician’s backfill list. This shall be documented in the clinical record.

The CSR/Centralized Scheduler shall provide the clinician with an alternative individual to meet by consulting the clinician’s backfill list. The CSR/Centralized Scheduler shall ensure that the consumer is available to meet with the clinician.

  1. Back Fill List

The back fill list is to be maintained by the CSR/Centralized Scheduler, and will be given to the Community Support Specialist on a daily basis. Individuals on this list will change given clinical consumer need and schedule. Individuals placed on the back fill list should include:

  1. Individuals that have a clinical need to be seen more frequently;
  1. Individuals with a scheduled appointment that have made a request to be seen before their scheduled time; or
  1. In the event that a routine appointment is cancelled and no scheduled appointment times are available.

Clinicians shall rank their individual backfill list so to prioritize clinical necessity for the CSR/Centralized Scheduling Department. Clinicians shall rank consumers from one (1) (urgent) to three (3) (routine).

  1. Monitoring Missed Appointments

The Centralized Scheduling Department shall monitor and document missed appointments according to the Agency “Missed Appointments” policy.

  1. Physician’s Walk-In Clinic

Physician’s walk-in clinic shall be utilized by the CSR/Centralized Scheduler to make the physician’s schedule most efficient. Individuals placed on the physician’s walk-in schedule by referral only.

Consumers may be referred to physician’s walk-in clinics under the following circumstances:

  1. Referral Due to Missed Appointments

The CSR shall verify that the consumer has missed two appointments in ninety (90) days or two (2) out of three (3) appointments and that the clinical record has been referred for a utilization review by the psychiatrist or CSS, and for the clinical supervisor to determine the consumer’s continued need for services.

Walk-in referrals shall be made for individuals who have been determined to be non-adherent to scheduled appointments. If the individual keeps two consecutive walk-in appointments with the psychiatrist within a 60 day period, then he/she will be referred back to scheduled appointments with the psychiatrists. This shall be monitored by the CSR/Centralized Scheduler.

  1. Referral from a CSS

Referrals may be made on an emergency basis from a CSS. A consultation shall occur between the CSS and psychiatrist. Psychiatrist will approve the consumer for walk-in services.

  1. Referral from a Psychiatrist

The psychiatrist may requests that a consumer be seen by another psychiatrist during their walk in schedule.

Consumers referred to the Physician’s Walk-In Clinic shall be given the date of walk-in and the name of the physician providing services. Individuals will be given hours to appear for services so to ensure a timely service delivery.

  1. Consumer Assignments

In order for AGENCY to be fully efficient in providing services to consumers in their homes in the community, caseload assignment will be determined according to geographic location. Community support specialists shall report change of address to the centralized scheduler and direct supervisor in the event of a consumer move to assure proper CSS assignment.

IV.Forms / Reference

None

  1. History

Original policy effective: