Compliance Specialists and the Clinicians They Review

Compliance in the field of mental health services is very similar to the backstage crew on a Broadway production. Compliance specialists ensure the accuracy and timely submission of the documentation integral to mental health services provided by therapists around the world. Without their keen attention to detail, clinicians rushed for time would be facing serious consequences due to unintentional, incomplete or inaccurate documentation of services. 

Consumers and clinicians alike may find it hard to remember that event notes, intake reports, treatment plans, approval documents, and incident reports are all medical records and deserve to be treated with respect. Compliance specialists truly are the hidden heroes of mental health services, who tirelessly work behind the scenes to make sure these medical records are submitted with the client and clinician’s welfare in mind.

Behind the Scenes

As someone with the unique and often pressured task of reviewing mental health records, a dedicated compliance specialist once commented on the relationship between compliance personnel and the clinicians they review. She astutely stated that she would hope that clinicians would see her as a member of their team rather than as an adversary. 

As it is the task of compliance specialists to determine whether documentation reflects agency and accreditation standards, often they can be viewed in a negative light. During the review process, they ensure that the documentation is both correct and submitted in a timely fashion so that clinicians are compensated fairly for services rendered. Of course, this also means returning documents with changes to be made before it is determined appropriate for submission. 

Missing Out on Relationship

The “turn-in, have it returned, make corrections and turn it in again” cycle understandably creates a divide between the much-needed compliance specialists and the clinicians they serve. What gets lost in this shuffle is the relationship between them. 

Clinicians are prone to see their compliance specialists as other cogs in the wheel, standing in the way of their paycheck. Common to the human experience, clinicians often find it difficult to have documentation returned with corrections. Conversely, compliance personnel often solely interact with the documentation and know the clinicians only by name on a form. The relationship may then feel reduced to primarily error and correction. 

Time and time again, this results in feelings of misunderstanding, complaint, frustration, and/or resentment. A trusted supervisor once said, “Rules without relationship equals resentment.” The same applies to workplace relationships.

We’re on the Same Team

To address this (at times) problematic dynamic, compliance specialists and clinicians can embrace the all-important therapeutic tool--empathy. Clinician’s benefit from considering their compliance specialists intent-- to protect clinicians’ liability and support their effective documentation. 

Positive relationships may be fostered between compliance teams and their clinicians by developing personal interactions outside of the documentation cycle. Emails or personal conversations at the proverbial water cooler can go a long way in helping compliance personnel and clinicians appreciate the personhood of their coworkers. 

Compliance and clinical personnel may also consider using constructive compliments and criticism tools when discussing documentation. Compliance specialists can complement the areas of clinical growth or change they might observe in their clinicians. Likewise, they can address patterns of incomplete or inaccurate documentation with their clinicians to prevent correcting the same issue. Clinicians can complement the careful observations that compliance makes, and seek to expressly appreciate the time compliance takes to review the documentation on a time constraint.

Lastly, compliance and clinical personnel can recognize and challenge their own thoughts during the compliance cycle. When writing documentation, clinicians can consider their outlook on paperwork in general. Compliance specialists and clinicians alike can make note of how and what they are thinking of their counterparts while reviewing, correcting, and returning documentation. 

The reality is that difficulties and frustration exist in any workplace. If you desire to converse about your workplace woes, make sure you attempt to contribute a constructive idea to the conversation. Then come together as a team to present your ideas and concerns to the powers that be (director, supervisor, manager, etc.). 

We all have an integral part to play as members of the mental health services community. Let’s stop to appreciate the time, energy, and sacrifices of our team members. 

With Alleva on Your Team

When you digitize your practice with Alleva, many of the concerns between compliance specialists and clinicians are handled within the platform. Clinicians are able to have access to helpful software that makes documentation easy, and compliance specialists are able to shift their focus to more pressing concerns. Keep the relationships between your compliance specialists and your clinicians friendly, with the friendliest EMR around! Request a free demo today!