Polaris Health Directions Inc.
(Recovery Outcome Management System)
Empowering adults with chronic mental health issues
Polaris-ROMS is a comprehensive strength-based outcomes management system to support clinical-decision making for the treatment of severely and persistently mentally ill adults. The system helps providers better plan for and monitor the needs of the consumers they treat, address key symptomology and guide consumers to build the strengths they need to achieve goals of independence—whether that means living on their own, holding a job or minimizing dependency on treatment.
System Benefits
✔ Includes content funded and reviewed by the National Institutes of Health. Learn more about the measures included.
✔ Incorporates the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA- the adult version of CANS) for effective clinical assessment and training.
✔ Includes trauma-informed content
✔ Improves interagency communication and case coordination
✔ Supports treatment program evaluation and quality improvement initatives
✔ Incorporates the voice of the consumer
✔ Proven success in a variety of public and private service settings and in service models such as intensive outpatient settings, Psychiatric Rehab, and PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment).
✔ Improves clinical and organizational capacity for evidence-based case formulation and treatment plan writing
✔ Benchmarks progress to similar SPMI clients in other programs
✔ Reports are immediately accessible to the clinical staff.
The Story Behind the Product
Adults with a chronic mental illness struggle with the effects on their daily lives. They may be unable to work or complete simple tasks, and often feel that their experiences of living with a mental illness are misunderstood. This is compounded by a system of care that generally fails to incorporate the consumer’s voice in treatment planning, and as a result, they frequently do not receive the services they need.
During the development of Polaris-ROMS, the research team solicited the input of both consumers and providers—from the layout of reports to the incorporation of data into treatment plans—to ensure that the resulting system reflected the voices and needs of those it would serve.
Through consumer input we came to understand that it was important to recognize not just their clinical goals but their life goals as well. Living with a mental illness does not have to have a crippling effect on all of the facets of a consumer’s life. To meet that demand, we systematically incorporated “building blocks” associated with employability and independence. Clients using Polaris-ROMS have access to data they can use to assist them in attaining their goals, including building emotional, resiliency and relational skills, and a viable support system.
Clinical Content
The behavioral health assessment includes the following domains:
✔ Mental health needs that are often co-morbid with severe mental illness: Psychosis, Global Behavioral Health, Depression, Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, Living Skills, Interpersonal Competence
✔ Adult behavioral markers including: Global Mental Health, Symptomology, Functioning and Well-being
✔ Screens for co-morbid substance abuse with the Addiction Severity Index
✔ Compensating adult strengths: Resiliency, Supports, Goal Directiveness, Emotional/Relational Skills
✔ Indicators for trauma and PTSD
✔ Readiness to change, risk of self-harm, and the likelihood of immediate harm
Learn more about Polaris-ROMS and the benefits your practice will see.
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