Better care for the mentally ill

Re: “Care center falsified records,” May 15 news story

According to the article, a Colorado mental health center, funded by state and federal governments to provide treatment for our mentally ill citizens, instructed staff members to falsify patient records. Monthly reimbursement for the mental health center is based partially on timely and complete documentation. If the report indicates patient improvement, the facility earns more money. This policy is counterproductive.

It motivates the workers to accept easily treated patients and discourages them from helping the seriously mentally ill, for whom we have inadequate medication and treatment.

It emphasizes income generation, not patient care, and distorts collected data, making it impossible to tweak the system to improve care.

Apparently, the clinicians are too busy with patients to document the Colorado Client Assessment Records that the facility must provide to receive funding. Supervisors make administrative staffers who have no medical training complete the assessment records, willy-nilly, with no regard to accuracy. To stay employed, the workers follow orders and burden themselves with a moral dilemma, knowing simultaneously, “I must do this,” and “I am doing something unethical.”

Providing the facility with more funding if the assessment record indicates patient improvement promotes fraud. Facilities that provide cancer treatment get reimbursement even if the patient dies. Insisting that a clinician improve the functioning of a treatment-resistant seriously mentally ill citizen is unrealistic. Keeping such a patient housed, out of jail and out of the ER is a challenging goal.

I have concern and compassion for all of our mentally ill citizens, for all who treat them and for policymakers who strive to spend our tax dollars prudently.

Jean Trester, Centennial