BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

CANTON — Numbers remain consistent within the Community Services Clinic, including with addiction services, the mental health clinic and Outpatient Treatment Program (OTP).

Community Services Director Jay Ulrich told county legislators recently that the averages for each department remain about the same, despite a history of numbers declining slightly during the summer months.

“The numbers are not quite as strong this month but they’re about the same,” he said.

Ulrich said changes to scheduling were made, with the month of June being the first month to reflect those changes.

“We met with each councilor and we came up with a matrix or a mix of what they needed in terms of how many 45 min visits, 30 min visits, 15 min visits they needed,” he said.

Ulrich said the scheduling assessment and changes are part of a corrective action plan to better utilize appointment slots.

According to Ulrich, in some cases appointments scheduled to last 45 minutes only lasted 30 minutes, leaving time available that could have been utilized for additional patients.

“We need to correct that and adjust,” he said.

The summer months are tough months for Community Services, he said, noting that a number of patients don’t come in for a variety of reasons, including nicer weather.

When it comes to the waitlist, Ulrich said the only two people still on the list are seeking OTP services currently.

“At the time it was five, now we’re down to two. Those are individuals who can’t be seen in a five day period,” he said.

Billing services have also dramatically improved, he said, with the previous issues largely being sorted in recent months.

“In terms of the billing process, I’m fairly confident we’ve got it about 90% fixed,” he said.

Ulrich said fixes have been put in place for background settings that have made it easier to get reimbursement.

Insurance claims are also dropping and getting reimbursed faster and in full, he said.

Revenue for Community Services totaled $257,016 for the month of June, with $165,000 being accounted for through OTP, Ulrich said.

During the meeting, Legislator Harry Smithers questioned the decline in wait list numbers, in particular those seeking mental health assistance.

“How do you explain it going down to zero? Are they getting help somewhere else,” he asked.

Ulrich said his staff have been able to bring more people in for case and in many cases have been able to reach those who are in need.

But hiring is still an issue, as two positions still remain open.

“We’ve had them for well over a year,” Ulrich told legislators.

Despite the two open positions, Ulrich said he and his staff will continue to look for and find ways to improve services and to ensure that everyone who needs care will be able to receive it in a timely fashion.