Finding your organization's 'hidden treasure': agencies can supplement their core funding with revenue-recovery processes.(Cover Story)

Behavioral health organizations are faced with significant budgetary challenges while trying to maintain a high level of care, maximize resource utilization, and maintain revenue. This situation is exacerbated by reduced funding, cost-containment measures and, in some cases, reduced philanthropic contributions.

A variety of factors, including declining reimbursement from payers and rising treatment costs, makes it more critical than ever for providers to operate as efficiently as possible and ensure that optimal revenue is achieved for services provided. Besides reimbursements, agencies use a host of methods and strategies to cover costs and generate the dollars required for effective managerial and clinical activities. Although effective, they are sometimes complex and time consuming:

* Grants. Grant monies are available from a myriad of private and public sources. However, research, grant-writing expertise, and follow-up are required to properly apply for and administer grants and maximize their effectiveness.

* Public funds. Many agencies rely at least in part on levies and other sources of direct taxpayer support. The last several years have seen increased public resistance to increased taxes, not just for behavioral health services but across the board. In many cases, tax issues that support behavioral health organizations share the …