Reducing Barriers to Behavioral Health
Rapid Engagement is a behavioral health system innovation with the goal of making it faster, easier and more user-friendly for people to get started with outpatient behavioral health services. Rapid Engagement in Oregon was inspired by the Treat First model in New Mexico and implementation requires changes to policy, payment and clinical practice. Using a multi-stakeholder planning approach, the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs led a collaborative process in 2021 to design and plan a Rapid Engagement pilot in Oregon, with the support of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Delta Center grant and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). To learn more about why Rapid Engagement matters, please read Carl’s Story to hear from an Oregon consumer on why reducing barriers to care is so important.
Rapid Engagement Pilot Launch
In alignment with OHA’s vision of creating a simple, meaningful and responsive behavioral health system in Oregon, AOCMHP is launching a pilot of Rapid Engagement to test out a more trauma-informed and person-centered approach to behavioral health access for members of the Oregon Health Plan.
About Rapid Engagement
The focus of the Rapid Engagement model is improving the entry process for outpatient behavioral health services for members of the Oregon Health Plan. Rather than starting with a comprehensive administrative intake, assessment and service planning visit, provider organizations can start with a brief registration, assessment and objective-setting process, provide an initial diagnosis, and start delivering and billing for a range of services needed by the consumer. The behavioral health team can then take up to 6 visits to build a relationship, learn more about the consumer’s experience and goals, co-create a treatment plan, and complete paperwork. Rather than front-loading system requirements, Rapid Engagement front-loads services.
Rapid Engagement Pilot Evaluation
Participating Organizations
Deschutes County Behavioral Health | PacificSource Health Plans
Yamhill County Health and Human Services | Yamhill Community Care
Center for Human Development | Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization
Cascadia Health | Health Share of Oregon
Central City Concern Blackburn Center | Health Share of Oregon
Central City Concern Old Town Recovery Center | Health Share of Oregon
Rapid Engagement Resources
- Carl’s Story: Why Rapid Engagement
- AOCMHP Rapid Engagement Fact Sheet
- Rapid Engagement Consumer Engagement Summary
- Rapid Engagement Overview Presentation
- OHA Rapid Engagement Pilot Fact Sheet
- OHA Rapid Engagement Pilot Resources
- Rapid Engagement Release of Information Template (English)
- Rapid Engagement Release of Information Template (Spanish)
- Rapid Engagement Clinical Skill-Building: Trauma-Informed Paperwork and Risk Assessment
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