Since Zepf Center’s founding in 1974, the mental health and recovery services field has changed immensely. Although treatment options continue to improve and stigma continues to subside, the current need for mental health care is at an all-time high.
Throughout the past 50 years, innovation has been vital to the agency’s existence and to the clients it serves. Solidifying itself once again as an industry leader, Zepf Center is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to both improve care for clients and increase support for staff.
At the forefront of Zepf Center's AI initiative is its mission to be the leader in hope and recovery throughout Northwest Ohio. In recent years, behavioral health organizations have faced increased demand, leaving staff with larger workloads and fewer resources than before. To combat this, Zepf Center employed a twofold approach to AI-assisted care. Utilizing this new technology to enhance mental health screenings for clients and streamline documentation for field-based clinicians, Zepf Center providers can better manage their workload and continue to deliver excellent care.
“There is a lot of buzz about AI right now, and many people are asking if it has a place in behavioral health treatment,” said Zepf Center Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Jennifer Jancsin. “Zepf Center’s answer is yes! We are thrilled to take this step to leverage AI tools that support our clients and staff.”
Zepf Center's journey with AI began through its involvement in the Ohio Behavioral Health Provider Network (OBHPN). Through their membership, Zepf Center leaders learned about a new tool that could enhance mental health screenings leading to better client outcomes. Based on two decades of peer-reviewed research, this tool facilitates person-to-person connection while assessing the conversation for early warning signs of depression, anxiety, and even suicide.
According to Samantha Ayer, Zepf Center’s Director of Health Information & Innovation, AI tools are not intended to replace clinicians but to assist in their decision-making process. By monitoring word choice and tone of voice, AI can identify risk areas through its augmented screening process and help support informed clinical care.
This enables Zepf Center's care teams to allocate resources and provide comprehensive, wrap-around care for their clients more efficiently. Because of research-driven tools such as this, Zepf Center can offer a preventative care approach to mental health, saving lives.
“This is such an important extension of care for our teams in a field where the workforce is often short,” Jancsin said. “The demand for mental health treatment continues to increase and this is a tool that helps our teams meet that demand while prioritizing the well-being of the people we serve.”
On the clinician side, Zepf Center is expanding its AI toolkit with a second software, designed to streamline documentation processes for providers working in the field. This mobile software will lessen the burden of documentation and paperwork, allowing clinicians to focus more on direct patient care and can cut note submission time in half.
“Instead of these teams spending the last hours of their day typing up notes and submitting documentation, they will now just need to review the information generated by the software, make any needed edits, and submit their documentation with more ease than ever before,” Ayer said. “This tool is focused on automation, efficiency, and reducing the clinical burden which ultimately benefits clients and staff.”
By using information input by clinicians throughout their day, AI technology helps streamline the documentation process and complete notes more efficiently. This mobile documentation software will be made available to staff working in the field to significantly reduce documentation time and allow for more person-centered care to take place.
The new AI tools employed by Zepf Center reinforce the agency’s mission to deliver quality, integrated, person-centered care. By embracing technology and innovation, Zepf Center not only enhances the patient experience but also fosters a supportive environment for its dedicated staff.
“Our staff consistently go above and beyond for our clients,” said Zepf Center CEO Deb Flores. “We chose to introduce these AI tools to supplement the great work our staff do while continuing to improve care for our clients.”
By leveraging these groundbreaking AI tools, Zepf Center continues to be on the cutting edge of client care while providing necessary support for its employees. Through strategic partnerships and a forward-thinking approach, Zepf Center is poised to make a lasting impact on the future of mental healthcare in Ohio and beyond.