Intake Process

Clients are referred to Acute Care Management from many sources (family, insurance company, doctor's office, school district(s), hospital(s), etc.)  The person making the referral provides the client's name, date of birth, any other relevant information, and the phone number where we can contact the referral. That information is then passed over to the Intake Department where one of our Intake Specialists will call the client and conduct an intake over the phone.  If the client is a minor, the intake will be conducted with the client's parent or legal guardian.  After the intake has been completed, the Intake Specialist will complete an Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA), or Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment (CANS) and the initial assessment.  The initial assessment provides an overall picture of the client and the issues s/he is experiencing. 

We understand that mental health is just as important as physical health. Our licensed therapists provide counseling for a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, etc..

The Child and Adolescents Needs and Strengths (CANS) is a tool that summarizes assessment information by identifying the needs and strengths of children, youth and their families.

The CANS provides critical information about the young person and their family that can be used for:

• Understanding eligibility for specific services and supports (LOC)
• Organizing information from various sources and identifying priorities for treatment
• Ensuring family participation in setting treatment goals and identifying information
• Maintaining coordination between providers 
• Identifying and celebrating family successes 

The assessment process helps everyone share their perspectives and fully understand the story of the young person, adult, and their family: their challenges and supports. The CANS shouldn't be done to you, the CANS is something you participate in so your story can be told as clearly as possible. Family participation is a central piece to the CANS.

Understanding what supports have worked in the past (and what hasn't) is important to tailoring an approach to care that will work for the young person, adult, and their family.

Information about young people and their families helps determine what the process of their care might look like, including determining eligibility for certain types of services.

Adult Needs and Strengths (ANSA) is a clinical assessment tool that is used to facilitate the linkage between the assessment process and the design of individualized service plans including the application of evidence-based practices. The ANSA is used in the same process as the CANS, the ANSA is for adults only.