Mental Health Service Utilization and Coding Practices in Seattle SBHCs

From June 2016 to April 2017, under the mentorship of Public Health–Seattle and King County staff, a PhD candidate and Masters of Public Health (MPH) graduate intern analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from the 2015-16 schoolyear for mental health services in Seattle school-based health centers (SBHCs). Analysis of monthly Electronic Medical Record (EMR) clinical encounter exports paired with one-on-one interviews and focus groups with mental health providers highlighted similarities and variations in service utilization and coding practices. Together these analyses provide a richer, more complete picture of the mental health scope of service, as well as the clinical decision making process for diagnostic coding among SBHCs in Seattle Public Schools (SPS).

Read on to learn more about the analysis and what was learned. Have questions? Contact us!

Mental Health Service Utilization: A Quantitative Analysis
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