When I first started in the field back in the early seventies as a direct care worker, the mimeograph machine was high tech and often times fought over to run those data collection sheets before the fluid ran out. No one seemed to notice that the Photostats where white letters on a black background because it was magic.
Bill Blevins
Administrator, PrimeCare, CT
By the end of the seventies I had moved up to a supervisory position in a residence hall with 40 behaviorally involved adolescents. Everyday I waded through mountains of incident reports, data sheets, memos, log books, shift notes, and the usual administrative paperwork. Half of the time, I was unable to decipher the handwriting, understand the grammar or identify some of the words. Because I have some of the worst handwriting in the world and was a horrendous typist, when I was able to attach a second disc drive and a printer to my Apple IIc, I thought I was in heaven.
As the years went by I had several different positions in both large and small human service agencies and very little changed. Computers got faster, mimeographs disappeared, photocopies looked like the originals and spell checkers where invented but, very little actually changed. Each and everyday, I still had to wade through mountains of paper. If I needed information I had to wander from place to place accessing cumbersome logs, deciphering hand writing and oftentimes asking for rewrites because of spelling errors etc.
All of that changed a few years ago with Therap. Originally, I only completed Incident Reports using Therap and thought what a great addition it was to be able to correct, edit, print and store the reports in a timely manner. It used to take days to get them into an accurate and presentable document and then weeks to circulate. Now it is done in minutes. The latest version of Therap does so much more! As a group home administrator, I think the hardest part of the job is knowing what is going on in the houses. Even when the houses are only a few miles apart, it was hard to stay on top of what is happening. There are also times when you just do not know what questions to ask to get the information you need. For me, there was nothing more frustrating or embarrassing than to have a State Case Manager call about a situation that I didn’t know about. With the latest version, this is almost impossible.
Since the newest version of Therap was released in May, we are now using the system not only for Incident/Behavior reports but also for a wide range of other uses. Almost all of our data collection is now done using the Therap system. This includes tracking goals, behavior events, recreation and many miscellaneous items we choose. Using the medical section we track everything from headaches to doctor’s appointments, including vitals, weights, menses etc. Probably the two best features for me have been the T-Log and the Secure Communications features. We are using the T-Logs for shift reports, contacts, behavioral notes, medical concerns, treatment completion, PRN results monitoring and any other notes/documentation we think we need. The quality of shift reports has improved immensely since starting the system and the staff love it!
The Secure Communications feature allows me to communicate directly to individuals or groups of individuals about residents and events in a totally secure, HIPPA compliant method, in a timely and efficient manner. All of the staff check their FirstPage when they report to work and some are even doing it from home. But best of all, I can access all of this information from any computer at anytime. No more mountains of paper, no more waiting for days to get information and no more surprises. Instead, when I visit one of the houses now, I can take the time to interact with the residents and staff who are already aware of what has been going on. I have been able to provide information to the state from my office, oftentimes over the phone, to respond to their questions or concerns. In fact, the ability to accomplish this has saved the agency days and days of time spent in investigations and inquiries.
I just can’t praise the Therap system enough! It has made my life a lot easier, has increased the amount of time the direct care staff spend with residents by reducing writing time, has improved the quality of documentation and has increased the level of professionalism. The case managers we have given privilege to use the system love it and are anxious for the State to get onboard.
Those few occasions that we have run into a glitch with the system were addressed almost immediately by sending a feedback. I have also had the opportunity to participate in some of the users’ group meetings and have been very happy with the results. The folks from Therap actually listen to what we are asking for and have incorporated most of our requests and are working on the rest. I don’t know how I got along without the system or what I would do without it. I strongly recommend that everyone try it out and “get with the program”.
William D. Blevins, M.Ed.
Administrator
PrimeCare, Cheshire, Connecticut