Reducing Symptom Distress:
Table 2 shows that GCB clients’ mental health symptoms decrease over time. Clients complete an extensive outcomes survey at intake, 6 months, 12 months, and then annually. The survey includes questions about the severity of symptoms. A summary of scores at different points in time for GCB clients shows that GCB clients have less severe symptoms over time.

The Symptom Distress Score is a sum of the clients’ ratings from 15 questions about issues like feeling afraid to go outside of your home alone; feeling tense; feeling lonely; lack of interest in things; or feeling nervous or shaky inside.

GCB staff works with clients to identify the ways in which the symptoms of their illness and their life situations cause them distress. Once those issues are identified, we work to help clients decrease their distress by assisting them in understanding and managing symptoms of their illness; increasing coping skills; increasing relationships skills; increasing employment and independence; and assisting clients in accessing a wide variety of supports and assistance.

Improving Quality of Life:
Table 3 reflects changes in Quality of Life and shows a similar pattern of improvement. As services continue at GCB, our clients increase their own rating of their quality of life.

The Quality of Life Score is an average score of 12 questions clients are asked at intake, 6 months, 12 months, and annually thereafter. The questions address areas such as the client’s satisfaction with the amount of friendship in their life, the amount of money they get, the meaningful activity in their life, the amount of freedom they have, their neighborhood, their personal safety, and their health.

GCB staff assists clients with symptom management, increasing independence, increasing relationships skills, finding employment, and accessing community resources in order to support clients in feeling better about their lives.

Employment, Independent Living, and Community Tenure:
GCB clients maintained an overall employment rate of over 16%, which is substantially higher than the national average. Over 76% of GCB clients live independently. Our staff works proactively with the state hospital, local psychiatric hospitalization units, and our local criminal justice system to keep hospitalization and incarceration episodes as short and infrequent as possible.

Clients Served in FY 2009:
GCB served 4,099 adults with severe mental illness in Fiscal Year 2009. Poverty continues to be an ongoing issue for people in Hamilton County who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness. Of the people served by GCB, 79% have annual incomes under $10,000, and 27% have annual incomes under $5,000.

Mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder) and psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia) accounted for 85% of the diagnoses of the clients served by GCB. Of clients served in FY 2009, 51% were male, and 49% were female. Almost half (49%) of GCB clients are African American, and 49% are Caucasian. Less than 1% of clients are Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander.

Although GCB continues to receive hundreds of referrals for service for people who are young and new to the mental health system, 55% of the people served by GCB are between the ages of 35 and 54. The average age of a GCB client is 43.

Most people come to GCB for service when they are referred by the Mental Health Access Point for case management (513-558-8888), or when their case manager from another agency refers them for one of GCB’s specialized services such as vocational services, day programming, and community support.

Client Outcomes - Fiscal Year 2009:
GCB provided services to 4,099 people from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. The agency offers psychiatric care, community support, residential services, vocational services and day programming. Every client works with staff to develop a comprehensive individualized plan.

Client Satisfaction with GCB Services:
GCB staff strives to provide all services in a manner and setting that helps clients to feel respected, cared for, and satisfied with their interactions with GCB. Each year, we survey over 400 of our clients to determine their satisfaction with GCB services. Questions include client satisfaction with service overall, the time it takes to access service, staff ability to address their specific culture and background, their inclusion in treatment planning, staff ability to listen, their input in services, how well their needs are met, and staff response in an emergency.