Creating A Mental Health Call Line for Fancy Care Clinic

Executive Summary

People suffering from mental illnesses experience challenges accessing appropriate therapy to support them in coping with the problem. As a result, Fancy Care Clinic focused on creating a mental health call line operating around the clock to offer virtual mental health care services to residents of all ages in Hudson, New York. The primary objective of this project is to improve the population's mental health while generating revenue critical to organizational growth and expansion. The clients will call or message a toll-free mental health line to receive services. The virtual mental health services will be offered at a low fee to ensure affordability for our target customers. Communication with T-Mobile will ensure our organization receives appropriate subsidies for the calls, thus minimizing costs.

Reasons (Create Problem Statements)

According to NAMI (2021), about 35.8% of adults in New York reported experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms in 2021. However, 20.2% of these lacked access to effective mental health services to help them cope. Also, healthcare organizations are transforming into telehealth and telemedicine services to provide healthcare services to patients. The rising healthcare costs in the U.S also encompass mental health services. People have poor access to services due to affordability issues. For instance, a therapy session lasting for one hour ranges from $65 to $250 for those without insurance (Leonhardt, 2021). Therefore, Fancy Care Clinic's mental health call line will help respond to these population needs and technological trends and eliminate access barriers to care to promote mental health outcomes.

Business Options

The business will be primarily conducted virtually. Customers will contact the toll-free line through voice calls or direct messages to share their problems with experts and receive constructive feedback and support tailored to individual needs. When it comes to people with severe forms of mental illness or when a customer feels it necessary to have an in-person visit, it is flexible to allow them to book appointments to interact with experts to provide effective assistance.

Expected Benefits

The organization will have improved customer relationships, which is critical in building brand reputation and attracting new customers. A low-cost strategy is essential in enhancing the organization's competitiveness in the market. The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation, provides grants to organizations and programs to improve people's access to mental health services. Therefore, quality services offered by the organization will enhance eligibility for these grants, which is essential in strengthening this new service.

Expected Dis-Benefits

The primary disbenefit of this project is that it opens the organization to other forms of competition. Mental health care providers have invested in various technological platforms to improve customer interaction and experience. Therefore, our organization will face stiff competition since it only relies on phone calls and direct messages to interact with customers, thus affecting revenue.

Costs (Budget estimate)

The estimated budget for the mental health call line is $6 million, which will be used to purchase the required telecommunications, data communication, information technology equipment, and other resources needed for the call line. Moreover, it covers office equipment, employee salary and benefits, travel, insurance, legal activities, marketing, and advertising.

Timescale (Schedule estimate)

The project is scheduled to run for six months. The 30 tasks formulated concerning the project will be evenly distributed across the estimated schedule. This implies that each month will comprise five primary tasks. The project manager will ensure tasks are completed within time to avoid extra costs.

Investment Appraisal

Based on the analysis, this project is feasible and profitable for the organization. This is because the project addresses the current trends in health care that emphasize using technology to deliver services. Therefore, since the mental health call line capitalizes on technology, it will provide greater convenience and thus attract more customers. Also, the low-cost service strategy is critical in competing with other mental health providers. A strong competitive advantage will enhance the business's profitability and sustainability in the market.

Major Risks

There is a higher risk of breaches, thus exposing private customer and company information. Also, the equipment or software will likely experience technical problems, thus hindering service delivery. Hudson is a populated area; therefore, the call volumes will increase over time beyond the staff's capability to handle them. This may leave many customers unattended, affecting their experience and preference for the organization's mental health services. Working at the call center is highly demanding; increased stress can lead to staff burnout. This will affect their efficiency in delivering quality services to customers.