Behavioral Health Prevention

Let’s face it, many organizations don’t always have all the answers, people, training, or necessary resources… right? As an organizational leader, you can begin to resolve this dilemma by answering one important question: Should my organization obtain a behavioral health prevention certification from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (OhioMHAS)? Hint: The answer is a resounding YES! The following five points will help you to understand the importance of obtaining this certification.  

From a workplace perspective… It’s a stamp of your organization’s excellence. Certifications tell your clients, peers, and funders that your organization is not only qualified, but that it is also a healthy, supportive, and viable workplace. Prevention certification offers proof to others that your organization has achieved high standards of safety, ethics, and organizational best practices, including education and credentialing, with a significant focus on quality.  

Most public funding that is earmarked for behavioral health prevention services must go to certified prevention organizations (unless exempted through administrative rule). This is true regardless of whether that funding is at the local (ADAMH Board), state (OhioMHAS), or federal (SAMHSA) levels. Obtaining your organization’s prevention certification will open these funding doors up to you. It also increases your organization’s competitiveness when applying for private and public foundation dollars because it provides the organizational credibility that foundations are looking for. (Hint – this will help you with that resources problem).

One of the most important reasons to get your organization prevention certified is that it helps you stay ahead of the competition. If you truly want your organization to thrive, you need to stay current in all the technologies and regulations that affect your profession. Continuing to grow and evolve your organization will ensure that it continues to be an asset to your community far into the future. 

Many organizations lack some of the basic Human Resource Policies & Procedures that protect an organization from risk of liability. Let’s face it… many small organizations are just one lawsuit away from closing their doors. Further, many organizations lack the capacity or knowledge of how to establish these necessary policies and procedures. OhioMHAS prevention certification helps with that. During the certification process, your organization will obtain a tremendous amount of insight into what policy and procedural protections you should have in place. Whether its client rights and grievances, employee development, or emergency preparedness, the certification process will help you achieve a solid foundation. Your employees and clients both deserve this.

First, you can carefully look at the certification requirements before diving into the process to see how your organization stacks up. This will help you to estimate the number of hours it will take you to complete the certification process. For example, if your organization already has a solid Human Resources Department and other employee programs, the process will be much easier for you to complete. But if you are starting from scratch, it will take a bit longer. Just know that the entire process – from beginning to end – can take anywhere from six months to one year (or more, depending on different variables). Take your time with it so that you can balance it out with your organization’s current projects.

Second, you are not alone. The You Thrive team is available to help you with the process from start to finish. From our perspective, it’s just another day at the office. And we can do most of the behind-the-scenes busy work to keep you on track.  At the end of the journey, you and your organization will have a better foundation upon which to achieve your missions, values, and goals. There now… no reason to be apprehensive.
 

You've got this!