Strategic Plan
FY 2024-2027
Business Objectives
​The current business objectives of First Alliance Healthcare are purpose driven and connected to the company’s mission. Our business strategies are summarized as follows:
• Become more innovative and comprehensive, while ensuring quality service remains our number one priority
• Work aggressively to maintain our relevance in the communities in which we serve. This includes achieving performance outcomes in an efficient manner that sustains stakeholder satisfaction
• Operate the business in a manner that ensures longevity of our service lines, and fiscal viability of the company
KEY STRATEGIES FOR 2024-2027
We have developed five key strategies as our focus for 2024-2027. Our key strategies are an extension of our business objectives and are connected to our company’s mission and values. Action plans for the successful implementation of each key strategy are discussed in this plan.
• Maintain license from Ohio Department of Mental Health
• Diversify funding sources
• Improve technology, including fraud & abuse prevention efforts
• Increase diversity awareness/cultural competence
• Consolidate office locations and close ineffective locations
• Achieve national accreditation
Overall S.W.O.T. Analysis – Completed 2nd Quarter FY2024
STRENGTHS
• Excellent training curriculum (QI Dept.)
• Varied educational backgrounds
• Culturally diverse staff
• Good data collection
• Relaxed, open work environment
• Full array of service
• Competitive benefit package
• Involvement with community
• MH provider in network
• Involvement with local & statewide provider associations
• Good collaboration with stakeholders
• Positive reputation in community
• Advocacy with state (OHMAS)
• At the forefront of collaboration with stakeholders
• Commitment to enhance diversity
WEAKNESSES
• Excellent training curriculum (QI Dept.)
• Varied educational backgrounds
• Culturally diverse staff
• Good data collection
• Relaxed, open work environment
• Full array of service
• Competitive benefit package
• Involvement with community
• MH provider in network
• Involvement with local & statewide provider associations
• Good collaboration with stakeholders
• Positive reputation in community
• Advocacy with state (OHMAS)
• At the forefront of collaboration with stakeholders
• Commitment to enhance diversity
OPPORTUNITIES
• Grants
• Medicaid provider
• Hispanic community
• Hearing impaired
• Maintain quality due status
• Increase mobility
THREATS
• Paybacks/cutbacks
• Industry credibility
• Loss in federal/state funding
• Service rate & authorization reductions
• See Safety/Disaster Plan for natural disasters and other safety threats
• Auto accidents with community services
• Job security
• Service definition & training requirement changes
• Three-year CARF accreditation
• Employee turnover
• Infrastructure to manage outlying offices
• Loss of endorsement
Overall P.E.S.T. Analysis – Completed 2nd Quarter FY 2024
POLITICAL
• Political instability & division between political parties
• Budget cuts & the services that will be impacted
• Uncertainty & many unknown variables
• Final decisions are made too quickly to allow for agencies to be pro-active
• State funding threatened by budget deficit
SOCIETAL
• Increasing discontent among mental health clients & their families, as their needs are unmet
• High expectations in the community to turn around Mental health reform failure
• Poor public image because of numerous discoveries of fraud & misappropriation of Medicaid & State funds
• MH/SUD has become less of a priority in a society that struggles with high unemployment, lack of healthcare coverage, etc.
• Lack of client engagement – many rely more on medication management than more intense & more beneficial services such as OPT & CPST, which results in
cyclical decompensation & hospitalization
ECONOMIC
​• Numerous funding cuts in MH programs
• Overall economic recession
TECHNOLOGICAL
• New technology enables better & quicker search for new & appropriate sources of funding, as well as access to funding reports
• New expanded telehealth rules
• Train staff to ensure that they efficiently use available technologies
• Overall savings & better use of funding when available technology is implement & used efficiently less wasted time & better use of Human Resources
• Lack of technology integration – many providers operate autonomously which hinders the access to which information needed to provide appropriate services
ACTION PLAN FOR KEY STRATEGIES
Increase service array in our existing geographic service areas so as to:
• Offer clients a continuum of services that vary in intensity to meet their various needs
• Remain solvent during difficult economic times
• Achieve state licensure and 3-year CARF accreditation
• Ensure First Alliance remains strong and competitive with a quality product
S.W.O.T. for Service Array Expansion
STRENGTHS
• First Alliance is one of the smaller provider organizations in the state
• Knowledgeable and experienced staff
• Excellent employee training program
WEAKNESSES
• Costs of availability of staff for endorsement prior to generative revenue
• Limited cash flow & resources
• Cumbersome system that lacks functional communication
• Dealing with various entities in sequence:
• Lengthy turnaround time for agency credentialing
• Limited funds to cover training costs
OPPORTUNITIES
• Some services still offer appealing rates
• Take advantage of the fact that some services are “under provided”
• Changing client needs: some clients have to be stepped up to higher intensity services or stepped down from
residential to home settings
• First Alliance has certification
• Provide training opportunities for outside provider staff
THREATS
• MH service system is difficult to navigate
• National accreditation – need to receive a three-year accreditation to obtain license
Action Plan for Service Array Expansion
Diversify funding sources areas so as to:
• Ensure that First Alliance has the necessary cash flow to remain solvent
• Offset the fragility & volatility of existing financial supports
• Position First Alliance at the forefront of “Integrated Care” through a collaborative relationship
with Ohio MHAS & our related partners
S.W.O.T. for Service Array Expansion
STRENGTHS
• First Alliance has achieved a healthy balance of various funding sources
• Third party override for most enhanced services. (Medicaid will pay first, regardless of client’s fund source)
• Knowledgeable and experienced staff
WEAKNESSES
• Cumbersome system, lengthy processes with limited manpower
OPPORTUNITIES
• Available grants for funding through OhioMHAS
• Decreasing number of providers due to audits & paybacks, accreditation, certification requirements, etc.
THREATS
• Limited available funding due to overall budget cuts
• Increasingly difficult to implement new services due to requirements by OhioMHAS redesign & Medicaid
Action Plan for diversifying funding sources
Improve technology, including fraud & abuse efforts, so as to:
• Address important technology issues, such as hardware, software, security, protection and storage on an ongoing basis
• Deliver measurable outcomes
• Identify and prevent billing errors
• Monitor for and prevent fraudulent billing practices and abuse of Medicaid funding
S.W.O.T. for Improving Technology
STRENGTHS
• Willingness for this project to be implemented from all levels of the agency
• Up-to-date software
• Each staff has a cell phone, PC & access to a printer
• Strong IT department with timely help
WEAKNESSES
• Time consuming
• Down time during transition
• Improvements are costly
• Needed training
• Lack of technological skills among First Alliance staff members, staff is too reliable on IT department for simple
computer tasks, resulting in unnecessary downtime
OPPORTUNITIES
• Available grants for funding through OHMAS
• Decreasing number of providers due to audits & paybacks, accreditation, certification requirements, etc.
THREATS
• Decreased revenue during transition, downtown, training and learning curve
• Cost/benefit
• Making sure that the best product is chosen to fit the company’s needs
• Rapid obsolescence of hardware and software products
• Staff apprehensions to make changes
• Coordination of tasks/ensure rapid transition
Action Plan for improving technology
Improve diversity awareness, so as to:
• Continuously assess the needs of client, employees & stakeholders
• Provide services & oversight of operations in a culturally sensitive & diversified environment
• Recruit employees that are representative of the populations served
• Work to include DCFS, law enforcement, hospital staff, primary care physicians & OhioMHAS
stakeholders in our diversity efforts
S.W.O.T. for improving diversity awareness
STRENGTHS
• Ongoing internal cultural awareness Policy & Procedure and training program
• Commitment from all levels within the agency to embrace and respect cultural issues
• Working to ensure all stakeholders are familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Recruit, hire and train employees from culturally diverse backgrounds
• Agency committed to acceptance of all by working to address diversity & accessibility, including addressing barriers such as:
Prejudice, discrimination, ignorance, fear & intolerance
Architectural, physical & environmental
Attitudinal, financial, communication & transportation
• Participation in various marketing & educational events in an effort to reduce stigma and heighten awareness & advocate that people experiencing MH/DD/SUD
challenges are fully capable of recovery & successful participation in the activities of daily living
• Communication tools are made available to staff and clients to share their thoughts and concerns about accessibility issues (Request for Accommodation and Removal of Barriers forms and suggestion index
cards are available in each office.
WEAKNESSES
• Time required for training/education
• Employee turnover & related costs
• Coordination efforts to proactively discuss barriers and strategies to remove them
OPPORTUNITIES
• Create greater awareness of cultural issues inside and outside of the agency
• Promote a positive company image in the
community and create a comfort level among staff, stakeholders and clients
• Utilize public resources
• Educate the public, stakeholders and clients
• Improve the agency image
THREATS
• Requires embracing at all levels of the agency to ensure proper implementation & ongoing adherence to expectations
• Limited resources & funds
• Making sure that the best product
Action Plan for improving diversity awareness
Maintain national accreditation, so as to:
• Ensure the organization continues to evaluate current operations for quality and efficiency
• Meet Ohio requirements for service agencies and certification
• Ensure the agency remains strong and competitive in the marketplace
S.W.O.T. for maintaining national accreditation
STRENGTHS
• First Alliance is currently trying to achieve CARF accreditation
• Competent organization with an exceptional Quality Improvement program
• Knowledgeable and experienced staff
WEAKNESSES
• Cost of accreditation stresses limited cash flow & resources
OPPORTUNITIES
• Will allow the organization to maintain certification
• Results in our closely monitoring operations for quality, efficiency, and solvency
THREATS
• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services system does not require a 3-year national accreditation to continue
• Possibility that OhioMHAS will not endorse some services, even though First Alliance is accredited