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As a Spring Health provider, having an intuitive platform to work with my clients is a game changer. Technology can enhance our support for clients and improve outcomes, but if it doesn’t fit seamlessly, it can hinder our ability to be fully present with them.
Compass, Spring Health’s electronic health record platform, is effective because therapists and care team members designed it. This ensures real-time collaboration among mental health providers and facilitates patient outcomes tracking. The result is an incredibly intuitive platform that lets me stay on the same page with my clients from the start.
Let’s delve into the dashboard you’ll have at your fingertips and explore how to use it to bolster your practice and, ultimately, better support your clients.
A sneak peek into the Compass dashboard
Many of us can relate to having more open tabs than we can manage. As providers delivering telehealth and in-person sessions, we often multitask—taking notes, searching for resources, and updating information on the go. The fewer tabs, the better.
Compass consolidates the essential features I need as an EAP provider onto one platform, eliminating the need to jump between tabs while supporting a client.
Upon logging into Compass, you’ll find the following user-friendly tabs and functions:
- Upcoming Sessions: Client’s name, appointment date, and completed assessments
- Measures: Assessments collecting data about symptom response
- Notes Tab: Client charts and notes
- Schedule Tab: A calendar for adding and viewing sessions
- Client’s Tab: Client list, benefits, and sessions history
- Pay Tab: Invoices
- Help Tab: Tech support and the crisis line number
- Settings Tab: Editing and customization
How I use the Compass dashboard to make work easier
As Spring Health providers, many of us have clients outside the network, and Compass recognizes this. It provides customizable settings, enabling you to seamlessly track Spring Health and external clients. This adaptability ensures your workflow remains smooth, regardless of the client’s network affiliation.
I never double-book with outside clients
Compass acknowledges that many providers, like myself, have clients outside Spring Health. It serves as a secondary calendar, allowing me to tailor my availability. As I log in, I can effortlessly distinguish the days dedicated to Spring Health clients and those when I can close my Compass tab entirely.
Scheduling constraints are highly customizable. While I maintain consistency with recurring availability, I also have the flexibility to offer one-off slots for clients needing emergency sessions.
Plus, I can set the minimum notice for session scheduling—personally setting mine to 24 hours. This way, I have a clear schedule at the start of each day, avoiding mid-day surprises. Compass also grants the ability to adjust maximum daily appointments and booking start times.
These features seamlessly integrate my Spring Health calendar into the broader scope of my work as a clinician, providing adaptability necessary for efficient scheduling.
My admin tasks are prioritized for me
The “To Do List” feature is my organizational anchor, providing a quick overview of pending tasks without the need to sift through each client’s file. It efficiently highlights unfinished notes, indicating whether they’re outstanding or overdue. Its prioritization feature sets it apart, arranging tasks based on urgency.
This functionality identifies pending tasks and streamlines my workflow by presenting them in order of priority. This means I can instantly discern which tasks are nearing their deadline, enabling me to drive straight into the most pressing matters without the added time and effort of prioritization. The “To Do List” is a valuable time-saver in managing my workload effectively.
Record keeping is easier; nothing falls through the cracks
Compass streamlines my invoicing process by presenting signed notes for quick proofreading. This allows me to verify the accuracy of my invoices swiftly. I can easily track the total number of sessions and late cancellations for the month on one display page, making the invoice reconciliation process efficient.
The Pay Tab, a recent feature, has been a significant time-saver. Instead of manually managing invoices in Excel, I just need to ensure the accuracy of the invoice and approve it by a specified time. This simplified approach to invoicing enhances my productivity, eliminating the need for manual tracking and data entry.
How I use the Compass dashboard to support my clients
Compass is designed to facilitate my support for clients in achieving their goals. The dashboard ensures that my clients and I remain aligned, from symptoms to pronouns to FMLAs.
The platform also empowers clients toward self-sufficiency, beginning with a simple prompt: “Let’s download the app.” The app allows clients to independently book appointments, access my profile, review their information, and more.
Even when life presents obstacles, Compass is designed for my seamless intervention, allowing me to input crucial details on behalf of my clients, ensuring continuous support. It’s a tool that fosters collaboration while promoting client independence.
Tracking the big picture with my clients
The measures in Compass serve as valuable assessments, offering a framework to gauge our progress. While they are automatically administered, I can send them out manually and track their completion.
When my clients engage with the measures, we review the results together. This collaborative discussion becomes an entry point into our conversation about their journey—what worked, what didn’t, and where adjustments may be needed. For instance, a lack of change in a specific symptom over six weeks prompts a constructive dialogue for necessary modifications.
These measures play a crucial role in keeping my clients grounded in the reality of their progress. Sometimes, their perception may differ from the data. By comparing their self-assessment to the measurements, we can pinpoint discrepancies.
Whether they’re experiencing a great day despite contrary measurements or feeling discouraged despite positive trends, the measures provide an objective foundation for us to explore and reshape perspectives. It’s a tool that fosters insightful conversations and enhances the client’s understanding of their mental health journey.
My clients have help navigating their benefits and treatment
The “Plan” section is a cornerstone of my client interactions. It provides a comprehensive overview, displaying their employer information, the allocated session count, and the renewal date of their plan. This allows me to strategize with my clients effectively.
For instance, if a client has 30 sessions until the year’s end and we’ve agreed on a consistent and supportive interval, the “Plan” section helps establish a structured and beneficial schedule.
The plan section also shows a concise breakdown, facilitating a collaborative review of their benefits during our initial session. This not only aids in clarifying the logistics but also ensures that my clients feel supported in aligning these details with their emotional, mental, and behavioral needs. It transforms the treatment plan discussion into a shared endeavor, fostering collaboration and understanding.
I can see what my clients see
The ability to monitor how my clients navigate administrative tasks is a game-changer. Instead of using precious session time to check on crucial documents, we can swiftly determine their status and devise a plan if necessary. This streamlined approach minimizes the time spent on administrative hiccups, allowing us to focus more on the client during our sessions. It enhances our efficiency, prioritizing our time together for meaningful discussions and progress.
Documents are no longer cumbersome
The consolidated “Notes” tab in Compass is a treasure trove of my client’s information and documents. I can effortlessly update details like addresses or emergency contacts with a quick visit. Vital information such as first and last names, preferred names, and pronouns are readily accessible. This organized repository benefits our ongoing therapeutic alliance and proves invaluable for future providers and care navigators who may need to engage with the client.
Encouraging clients to use care management for document uploads is a preferred approach, but sometimes, oversights occur. In such cases, Compass provides a solution—I can upload documents myself and monitor them, ensuring a smooth flow of communication.
This proactive feature enhances communication and document management, reinforcing the client-provider relationship. This is particularly crucial for clients in the queer community, emphasizing the importance of a well-organized and supportive platform like Compass.
Intuitive and straightforward, Compass walks the walk
At the end of the day, when I open a tab, I want it to align with my expectations and not slow me down with unnecessary complexities. Ease of use is crucial for a seamless tech experience that complements my dynamic practice and contributes to the success of both myself and my clients.
Spring Health’s platform, Compass, stands out because it’s crafted by clinicians who actively seek and incorporate provider feedback. Witnessing my feedback translate into new functions and simplifying my daily tasks is empowering.
Creating technology that caters to a global EAP provider experience is challenging, demanding both universality and standardization. Compass achieves this delicate balance, and our members see a 2.2x return on investment in healthcare costs alone and an almost a 4.10x return on investment when accounting for reduced absenteeism and turnover.
For new providers, my advice is to explore the platform. While it's intuitive, investing time in understanding its capabilities pays off. This knowledge works to your advantage and ultimately benefits your clients, making Compass a valuable tool in mental health support.
Discover how building a strong therapeutic alliance creates the foundation to assist patients in reaching mutually defined treatment goals.
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