Arkansas’ CMHCs Consumer Survey Report Card

Each year, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) conducts a survey to evaluate satisfaction with services received from Arkansas’ Community Mental Health Centers and Clinics (CMHCs). The 2009 survey was conducted for the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Divisions of Behavioral Services (DBHS) and Medical Services (Medicaid). The CMHCs were also active partners.

The major areas of interest are satisfaction with access, outcomes, participation in treatment planning, social connectedness, improved functioning and overall satisfaction with services. The adult version of the survey also measured satisfaction with quality/appropriateness of services, and the child/adolescent version measured satisfaction with staff cultural sensitivity.

Survey Instrument

AFMC administered the survey using the adult and child/adolescent versions of the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP) consumer satisfaction surveys. An MHSIP policy group has been working for more than 20 years to develop standards for collecting mental health data, including consumer satisfaction survey data.

The adult survey is completed by the adult beneficiary of services; the child/adolescent survey is completed by the parent (or other caretaker) of the child or adolescent. The standardized surveys were modified to include several items of interest to Arkansas DBHS and Medicaid. These additional items brought the final adult version to 64 items (see appendix A) and the child/adolescent version to 61 items (see appendix B). Both surveys focused primarily on experiences with a specific CMHC; however, several questions asked about other mental health services received and satisfaction with those services.