Structures_and_Process

Characteristics and Environments of Human Services BSHS 462 November 1, 2011 Introduction Rushford Medical Center is a state program in Connecticut which offers many different options for someone in need, including behavioral therapy. The organization works with adolescents with mental issues and addiction problems to adults who are willing to go through the intervention process. With the main branch located in the states capital of Hartford, Connecticut, there are many other treatment centers all over the state. Vision and Mission Rushford Medical Behavioral Center has many visions they would like to see take place. However one of their biggest and most important visions is ”Our experienced and compassionate physicians, nurses, therapists and support staff provide life-saving and life-changing prevention and treatment services to more than 12,000 children, adults and families each year.” (Anonymous, 2008) A mission statement is what any company or organization is willing to put out to their customers and clients. It is somewhat of a promise and dedication to the people who are willing to support the company and/or organization. Rushford Medical Healthcare Center’s mission statement is as follows: “Rushford is dedicated to meeting the substance abuse and mental health needs of children, adults and families. Working cooperatively with our Hartford HealthCare network partners and others who share our goals, Rushford strives to provide affordable, accessible services of proven effectiveness and high quality that embrace the most current research in prevention, treatment and recovery.” (Anonymous, 2008) With this being said, Rushford is willing to do whatever they can to assist clients and patients to make their experience with Rushford the best they can possibly have under any circumstances. In my opinion, it makes the client feel welcome to the facility and really want to see what it is all about. Governed and Staffed Rushford is staffed just like any other medical building. The top branch is the CEO/President Jeff Walter who “is responsible for ensuring the organization is able to achieve its mission to provide affordable, accessible behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents, adults and families in need”. (Anonymous, 2008) Below the president, there are the vice president, officers and service people who are employees of the Rushford Center. All final decisions are made by the president with the help of the officers and the officers; however Jeff Walter makes the final decision. Other than that, the employees vary. There are people who work with clients with addictions and other employees who work with clients who have severe anxiety and/or depression. Again, the range varies from staff working with adolescents to adults and depending on their issue they are being treated for. Not all staff can treat the same issue, therefore the staff needs to be prescreened and filtered in order to make sure they are right for this position. Influence on the Organization Some of the key stakeholders to the Rushford Center are the clients and outside resources. Because the Rushford Center is a non-profit organization, they rely on outside sources such as benefits and donations. “Rushford is supported by client fees, third-party payers, United Way, private contributions and state agencies, including the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Children and Families. Rushford is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is licensed by the State of Connecticut. “ (Anonymous, 2008) Without any of these, the organization may not succeed the way they are succeeding. Also, without the amount of clients they have they may not have the success they have as well. Without the clients, the center would not be anywhere. It is there to help people in need and of people is not willing to get the help they need and/or not happy with the facility, the organization will eventually run to the ground. These stakeholders influence the organization by keeping the organization open. Again, without the clients and without the help from the community as far as donations and benefits go, this organization and many other non-profit organizations would not be able to succeed. Working with the Community One of the ways that the community works with the Rushford Medical Center is by making a news letter for others to read. This is a way for the people of the community to see where the center is at. It is good because the community works so hard to keep the center up and running with donations and such, the news letter can really make a difference. It shows respect to the community and also shows that they care about one another. Another way the community and the Rushford Center work together are by is posting news to the website so everyone can see what is going on at the center and where people’s donated and earned money is going. These collaborations are very important to the organization and to the community because it is important to know where your money is going if you are working hard for something. The community works together to earn money for foundations such as the Rushford Center in their area, and visually seeing where this money goes really helps people stay at ease and trust this and other organizations. The collaborations are important to the organization because the organization needs people to support them and to believe in them in order for them to succeed and continue to get potential clients in the future. Diversity The Rushford Medical Center shows that they value diversity by hiring people of all different races and nationalities. Also by accepting people without insurance and by making payment plans, the Rushford Center proves to people they are willing to help anyone who might be unemployed, ill, handicapped or have any other ailment that they might be struggling with that might be preventing them to get the help they need. No one is turned down and everyone is treated equally as mentioned on their online website. Facing the Facts Not everything can be positive, especially with an organization that is non-profit. The Rushford Medical Center faces a lot of issues when it comes to technological issues. Because this company does not bring in much money and relies solely on other people and companies, there is not much room financially to buy computers for records and such things like a profitable company would be able to do. The organization must work with what they have and really not use any of their money given to them for anything such as new technology. The other thing they can do is accept donations and such. The money for the organization must strictly go for needs of the clients such as medication and professional staff to work with these clients. However, with some donations, the organization will make do with what they get and continue to work with patients either way. References Anonymous. (2008). Rushford a hartford healthcare provider. Retrieved from http://www.rushford.org/Content/FactsandFigures.asp