Health related practice for Budget Assignments

Budget Introduction

In six weeks you will be creating a comprehensive “Organization Wide Operating Budget” for a real or hypothetical mental health related practice for your Budget Assignments in this class. Whether this is a non-profit or for-profit sole proprietorship, limited liability corporation (LLC), partnership, sub-s corporation, or other. We begin this process by identifying the following:

NOTE: The organization name has to be mental health related

I have one example organization: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

1. Name of Organization

2. Type of Organization (non-profit or for-profit, see above options)

3. Location of Organization (urban vs. rural)

4. Staff required

5. Program/organization objectives or mission statement (why are you in business)

6. Proposed clientele you will be working with (age, gender, diagnosis, how many/day, what payer sources…private pay, traditional health insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, managed care, grants related).

7. Facilities you will need to deliver services (square footage, equipment, etc.).

You may use worksheet A.1, page 140+ as a guide to complete the above information. Please note that not all categories on Worksheet A.1 are required for this assignment. The recommended length of this assignment is 2-3 pages with reference support.

Resources

Readings 1. Textbook:   Dropkin, M., Halpin, J., & LaTouche, B. (2007).  The budget-building book for nonprofits  (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.           Chapter 1: Why Budgets and Budgeting are Important to Nonprofits          Chapter 2: Understanding Basic Types of Nonprofit Budgets: Overview          Chapter 3: Key Board and Staff Roles and Responsibilities in Nonprofit Budgeting          Chapter 4: Establishing Budget Guidelines. Priorities, and Goals          Chapter 5: How different Sources and Types of Income can Affect Budgeting          Chapter 6: Strategies for Developing Organization-Wide Operating Budgets 2. Websites:

Sperling (2015, February 20). President Obama’s 2016 budget: What does it mean for mental health?  https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2015/President-Obama-s-2016-Budget-What-Does-It-Mean-f (Links to an external site.)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2015). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operating plan for FY2016.  https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/fy2016-samhsa-operating-plan.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Retrieved from  https://www.samhsa.gov/health-financing/implementation-mental-health-parity-addiction-equity-act (Links to an external site.)     Office of Budget (OB), (2017). HHS FY 2017 Budget in Brief. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from  https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2017/budget-in-brief/index.html (Links to an external site.)

Office of Budget (OB), (2017). HHS FY 2018 Budget in Brief. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from  https://www.hhs.gov/about/budget/fy2018/budget-in-brief/index.html (Links to an external site.) Recommended Multimedia BoardSource, [BoardSource]. (2012, April 3). Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards – 6 of 10 – Ensure Adequate Financial Resources [Video File]. Retrieved from  https://youtu.be/9w9myx-5xok (Links to an external site.) BoardSource, [BoardSource]. (2012, April 5). Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards – 7 of 10 – Protect Assets and Provide Financial Oversight [Video File]. Retrieved from  https://youtu.be/7NhRLNo6AEU

Week 1 Instructor Guidance

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. – Barack Obama

Week 1 Overview

Greetings! Welcome to the first week of ORG6660 – Fiscal Administration in Mental Health Care Systems. During this week, you will be introduced to a variety of topics related to budgeting practices in mental health organizations. I hope you find your readings, our discussions, and the assignments both interesting and thought provoking!

Please note that this course may be a little different from other courses you’ve taken. What I mean by this is that much of the work in the course requires practice. Because of this, many of your assignments, discussion questions, and self-assessments require you to apply and perform various budgeting concepts. This is a much more “hands-on” approach when compared to other subjects such as theory or human development. Don’t worry though, this is still a learning environment and no one is expected to be budgetary experts. It is hoped that the practice of creating a budget will be the type of “hands on” learning necessary to best master course concepts.

Introduction to Budgeting

In your readings this week, Dropkin, Halpin, and LaTouche (2007) introduce basic budgeting principles and definitions. The authors answer questions such as:

1.) What is a budget?

2.) Why are budgets important?

3.) Who is responsible for managing budgets?

4.) How do various types of income affect budgets?

5.) What are the most effective strategies for creating budgets?

I encourage you to pay particular attention to Chapter 1. This initial chapter, even though it appears fairly basic, is the framework you will need for the remainder of the course.

The second chapter reviews and details the six most common types of budgets for mental health care organizations. (This information is also the focus of your first discussion question). These six types of budgets include:

Organization-wide operating budgets

Operating budgets for individual programs

Capital budgets

Cash flow budgets

Opportunity budgets

Zero-based budgets

Chapter 6 in your readings this week discusses effective strategies for developing organization-wide operating budgets. Here, you are provided with specific suggestions to create well-planned and thoroughly researched budgets. Worksheets 6.1 – 6.4 assist with the “hands-on” approach to our learning experiences in the course.

You have two short videos to view this week. Both provide introductory level information about the fiscal responsibilities of nonprofit board members. You also have several websites to examine this week, which provide relevant information for budgeting in mental health agencies. Because I had difficulty using the link provided by the University in the syllabus, I have provided a website below regarding mental health parity and laws pertaining to health insurance. Please take time to review the websites thoroughly.

http://healthbeatblog.com/2011/01/is-achieving-mental-health-parity-a-pipe-dream/ (Links to an external site.)

Finally, please take a moment to introduce yourself to the CD that accompanies your text. Among other information, the CD contains Worksheet A.1 which is helpful for your first assignment. For your convenience, I have provided the worksheet below as well. Additional information regarding the assignment can be found in your syllabus.

Grading Criteria