ACTION Items with Kim Johnson

Dear colleagues,

Our second national campaign is off to an amazing start! Participation in our twice-monthly webinars increases with each presentation, and we're glad that the Campaign is reaching so many more organizations. We'd like to welcome the more than 200 new users who have joined the ACTION Campaign II since our launch.

Some of you have asked if you need to sign up for the ACTION Campaign II if you participated in the first Campaign. The answer?You are automatically enrolled if you already have a NIATx codename and password.

We would like to welcome providers from the NIATx200 states: Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Providers in these states were participating in a randomized controlled trial that ended in August 2009. The nature of the research restricted their access to the Campaign and NIATx.net.

However, now that NIATx200 has moved into its next phase, we encourage all NIATx200 providers to join the ACTION Campaign II. All you need to do is visit www.niatx.net and log on with a NIATx codename and password.

As NIATx Director Dave Gustafson stated in last month's ACTION Items, the ACTION Campaign II is focused on helping you during these challenging economic times. Each of our webinars offers strategies-field-tested by your peers-that you can use to improve services, reduce costs, and increase revenue at your organization.

CPC Behavioral Healthcare in New Jersey is one organization that made a change recommended by the ACTION Campaign. As a result, says Senior Vice President Vera Sansone, "We have already seen a difference in our bottom line." You can read the complete story in this issue.

This month's E-news also features a story from a mental health provider in the Philadelphia area,Assessment & Treatment Alternatives. This agency found that making simple changes to reduce no-shows had a positive impact on agency revenue.

The ACTION Campaign Webinars for October will share strategies for reducing wait times by reducing paperwork. Due to the popularity of the ACTION Campaign II webinars, we've expanded capacity so more of you can join us. Please spread the word and invite your colleagues to join in.

In the months ahead, the ACTION Campaign II will share more simple changes that you can test in your own organization, along with more inspiring stories from your peers across the country.

As always, we look forward to hearing from you! Please contact me at Kimberly.johnson@chess.wisc.edu if you have any questions about the ACTION Campaign II or a great story to share.

Sincerely, Kim Johnson Director ACTION Campaign II