Resources for Implementing Services Integration Programs
Rural services integration programs require a variety of resources, including funding, staff, legal assistance, and leadership and partnerships. For additional information on needed resources for program implementation, see Implementation Considerations in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.
Funding
Funding may be needed for space, supplies, staff salaries, and outreach and engagement activities. More information on care coordination and integrated services delivery funding programs can be found in the Rural Funding & Opportunities section.
Staffing and Training
Staff are an important resource to rural services integration programs. Staff requirements, roles, and responsibilities need to be clearly defined at the outset of a program. Staff may require specific trainings or certifications to participate in a services integration program. Some services integration models, like wraparound programs, require staff that are trained to address the complex health and social needs of children and families.
Training may focus on a range of topics, including:
- Best practice assessment protocols and procedures (for example, School Health Index training or trauma-informed care practices)
- Care coordination and tracking procedures among partner organizations
- Training for school counselors, teachers, and paraprofessionals (for example, training navigators to help patients understand available options for health insurance coverage)
- Training for healthcare professionals involved in the program (for example, integrating telehealth into care practices)
Legal Services
Legal services may be needed to address confidentiality issues, reimbursement and billing issues, and regulations. Some services integration programs, like the Community HUB model, may require legal services to negotiate contracts with participating providers. Other programs like the one-stop shop model may require legal services to determine how to bill for services delivered by different providers.
Technology
Access to technology can be critical to services integration programs. For example:
- Co-located services models may use a shared electronic health record (EHR).
- Behavioral health integration models may use virtual technologies to connect behavioral health specialists and patients in primary care offices.
- Services integration programs using telehealth must have access to high-speed broadband.
Rural communities should consider how access to technology could affect the program. The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth funds Telehealth Resource Centers to assist healthcare organizations, networks, and providers in implementing telehealth programs to serve rural communities.
In addition, the ability to share information between multiple organizations is an important element of any rural care coordination program and critical for success. A tracking system helps to manage patient transitions, hospitalizations, and community agency referrals across organizations. Rural communities may need both financial resources to implement the system and staffing resources for training and use of the system.