New York City Service Center

Quality Corner 2011

At ValueOptions®, we want to make sure that every member gets safe treatment at the right time that works for their mental health or substance use needs.

How do we do this? Our Quality Program Structure and Goals

Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and the other leaders of ValueOptions®, guide our Quality Program. Staff from all areas in the company also work with the Quality Program. The Quality Program does its work here at our New York Service Center so that we are better able to know what you prefer and meet your needs.

Our goals include:

  • Making sure you can reach ValueOptions® staff and providers when you need them.
  • Making sure that our network providers meet our high quality standards.
  • Making sure that our services respect the needs you have due to your race, culture, or religion.
  • Helping our members get the most out of our services so they can take charge of their health.

What does this mean for you?

ValueOptions® wants to hear from you. We listen to what you like and do not like. One way we do this is by asking what you think on our annual Member Satisfaction Survey.

Thanks to those of you who took part in our 2010 Member Satisfaction Survey. Here are some of the things we learned from the survey:

  • 94% they were satisfied with the mental health services they received.
  • 91% said they were satisfied with the quality of their therapist.
  • 99% said their counselor respected the needs they have due to their race, culture, or religion.
  • 93% said they were able to get a first appointment within 14 days
  • 93% said they did not have a problem with how far they had to travel to see their counselor.

Language Translation Services

We know from experience and the 2010 U.S. Census Survey that our members speak many different languages. To meet their needs:

  • A language service can translate by phone when members are not able to make their needs known in English if our staff does not speak the member’s language.
  • We hire staff who speak more than one language when we can. We have staff at the New York City Service Center who speak English, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and German.
  • We contract with  providers who speak 32 languages. 

Preventive Health Programs and Integrated Care

ValueOptions® works closely with EmblemHealth to bring you programs to help keep you healthy and to prevent symptoms of behavioral health problems such as depression from getting worse. Here are some of the ways that we do this:

TeenScreen Primary Care Preventive Health Program: ValueOptions® and EmblemHealth work with the Columbia University National Center for Mental Health Check-Ups to offer free mental health screenings for teens and pre-teens. This program was developed because many in that age group suffer from depression. Public health agencies and organizations recommend screening for this condition.

The young person answers 35 questions in private when they are in the primary care doctor’s office for a routine visit. The doctor reviews the answers to the questions and talks to the young person and the parent about them. The doctor may refer the young person  to ValueOptions® for help.

Thousands of young people have been screened since we started this program.

Antidepressant Medication Management Preventive Health Program: ValueOptions® and EmblemHealth want to help you manage your antidepressant medicine if you have recently gotten a prescription for this medicine from your doctor. 

Depression can be treated. Taking the medicine your doctor ordered the way he or she told you to take it is an important part of treatment. In this program, you and your provider will get letters that tell you how important it is to take your medicine the way your doctor told you to do. If you are thinking about not taking your medicine, we hope you will talk to your doctor before making any change.

During 2010, ValueOptions® sent out more than 25,000 letters as part of this program.

After you have been in the hospital — What’s next? 

After you have been in the hospital, it is important that there is a plan for you to keep getting care to help you get well and stay well. It is best if  you see your doctor or counselor within a few days of leaving the hospital. Your hospital will help you to get the appointment you need.

You can also contact ValueOptions® at 800-922-3626 for help with setting up the appointment or finding a doctor or counselor. 

Research shows that people who see their doctor or counselor in the first week after they leave the hospital do better than those who wait. We want to make sure our members get to that appointment so we will try to contact you to remind you. Our staff can also help you with any problems that you may have in getting or keeping that important appointment.

Could you benefit from medication that might help you feel better? 

Sometimes mental health problems can be caused by things that can be treated with medicine. If your therapist is not a doctor or nurse who can prescribe medicine, we urge you to talk to your counselor about having a psychiatrist examine you and see if medicine might help you. ValueOptions® staff will be glad to help you locate a network psychiatrist near you.