Incorporating Data into a Needs Assessment

Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Office of PlanningOffice of Research

TDMHSAS Division of Planning, Research & Forensics

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Introduction• In developing and prioritizing the needs your

region will focus on, some questions to consider are:

o What do Tennesseans need?

o How is that different than what we see now?

o What is causing or contributing to the current issues, concerns, or gaps?

o What is needed to change current conditions?

o What are we willing and/or able to do to ensure we make a difference?

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How can data be used in a needs

assessment?• Identify supports and services needed in a

region or community

• Improve decision-making

• Identify needs that were not clear before we looked at the data

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1. What is the need? What is the primary source or origin of the need?

o Who: The characteristics of those experiencing the need (e.g. age, gender, race or ethnic group)

o What is contributing to the need: Services, changes in law, changes in policy, changes in programming

o Where is the need: Any location in the region where the need seems more concentrated

o Why: Risk factors that contribute to the need

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Finding and using data to establish the need

Once need is identified, what data do we need to make a good decision?

o What data would show a good outcome or result?o How do our data compare with last year?o How do our data compare with national/regional norms?

Example questions:o What does the population in our region look like?o What do we know about the services that are available now?

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What is data?Data is a collection of facts such as

o Numbers (# of people …)

o Words (focus group comments, interviews)

o Measurements (average length of stay)

o Observations (monitoring visit, treatment delivery, customer service)

o Descriptions (consumer experience of services received)

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Where can we find data?

TDMHSAS Office of Research websiteo TN Regional and County Data Books

United States data sourceso Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)o Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA)o Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA)o Census Bureau

Tennessee data sourceso Tennessee Department of Healtho Tennessee Bureau of Investigationo Tennessee Department of Corrections

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2. Is the need adequately addressed in the Three-year

Plan?• Look at the 2014 Three-year Plan Strategies and

Outcomes on the Office of Planning website

• TDMHSAS Office of Planning websiteo 2014 Three-year Plan Strategies and Outcomes

• Example: Housingo Objective 5.2: TDMHSAS increases access to resiliency and recovery

oriented services that include peer support, family support, employment and housing

• Strategy 5.2.2: In FY14, DMHS, through the CHI, will assist local communities create new or improved units of affordable, appropriate and integrated permanent housing options along a continuum from 24/7 supportive living facilities through home ownership, to be reported in August 2014.

o 500 new or improved units will be created

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3. What is the desired outcome?

• The result is different from the needo Result is broad: Stable housing for adults with SMIo Need is specific: Housing options for Tennesseans in our region

• What results do we want?o How can we improve the quality of life for people with mental illness

and substance abuse issues?

• Examples of outcomes:o Stable housing for adults with SMIo Decrease the number of homeless people with SMIo Reduce the number of people placed in state psychiatric hospitals

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4. What steps can the community and/or Regional Council take to achieve the

desired outcome?

• Invite TDMHSAS staff to talk about issues; programs

• Invite local experts to come talk about the issue

• Set up a task force to look at specific problems in the region

• Form agency partnerships to address a regional need

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5. How can TDMHSAS assist the region to achieve the desired

outcome?

Discuss:• Department priorities• Shift funding within or between programs

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6. Will the action required of

TDMHSAS require additional

funding?

• Describe the type of funding that will be requiredo Startup costs (match dollars from organizations, adequate

infrastructure, etc.) o Program operation

• Sourceo Where will the funding come from?

• Federal• State• Private grants

• Is this proposal revenue neutral?• What will be the impact on the state budget?

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7. If no additional funding is available, how might a desirable outcome be

achieved?

• TDMHSAS could:o Provide information sessionso Investigate expansion of programso Look for federal grants to expand programmingo Analyze existing data to pinpoint needs across the state

• Councils could:o Develop partnerships to address needso Use existing resources to leverage dollars from the communityo Look for federal grants to expand programming

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