Equity and Access: The Self-Assessment for Modification of Anti-Racism Tool (SMART) and the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS)-View Presentation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar focused on the development and implementation of two tools, SMART and LOCUS, to address equity and access in mental health care. SMART, or Self-Assessment for Modification of Anti-Racism Tool, was created to guide community mental health providers in addressing structural racism in the mental health setting. The tool focuses on five domains: hiring, clinical care, workplace culture, community advocacy, and population health outcomes. The goal is to provide metrics and guidance to help mental health providers identify and address inequity issues within their organizations. LOCUS, or Level of Care Utilization System, is a tool to assess service intensity and level of care decisions in mental health care. It uses a multidimensional framework to make clinical-driven decisions that are independent of diagnosis. The tool aims to provide a common language and objective approach to service intensity decisions and can be used at both the individual and system level. The webinar also highlighted the potential for bias and disparities in mental health care, using the example of involuntary treatment orders. Data showed that there were disparities in the application of 302s, or emergency involuntary commitment orders, with a higher proportion of Black individuals being subjected to this form of treatment. The presenters discussed the importance of using objective tools like SMART and LOCUS to address these disparities and identify areas for improvement. The webinar emphasized the need for diverse teams and consensus-based decision-making to drive quality improvement efforts. The presenters also discussed the need for ongoing monitoring and reassessment of outcomes to ensure progress in addressing inequities in mental health care.

Keywords

SMART

LOCUS

equity

access

mental health care

structural racism

disparities

involuntary treatment orders

diverse teams

quality improvement efforts