Gettysburg, Pennsylvania -- OPEN MINDS and Texas Community Solutions are pleased to announce the 2002 Strategic Performance Institute, "Tools for Strategic Planning & Management in a Challenging Environment". OPEN MINDS, in collaboration with Texas Community Solutions, is holding the 2002 Strategic Performance Institute to give behavioral health executives the opportunity to gather strategies for planning all aspects of their businesses.

The Strategic Performance Institute will be held April 25-26, in San Antonio, Texas, at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk.

This year's Strategic Performance Institute will include an opportunity for executives to participate in the "Leading Change in the Public Mental Health System” -- Roundtable Discussion with Michigan Community Mental Health Executives", on Day One of the event.

According to Monica E. Oss, President, OPEN MINDS, “In this single executive event, we will cover both the best models for business planning in the field and the tried-and-true methods of executives who have succeeded in achieving their strategic objectives. This emphasis on performance -- fulfilling one's mission; delivering value to consumers and communities; effective use of public and charitable dollars; and efficiency in operations and administration -- is the key to success for organizations in our field in the year's ahead.”

OPEN MINDS has also included more tools-based, interactive sessions so that attendees go home with a template and great ideas for successful strategic performance. Industry experts and sessions for the 2002 Strategic Performance Institute include --

• “A CEO’s Approach to Developing & Implementing a Strategy for Success: the Beech Brook Case Study” – Mario Tonti, Executive Director, & Debra Rex, Assistant Executive Director, Beech Brook
• “Leading Change in the Public Mental Health System” – a panel discussion with Michigan behavioral healthcare executives
• “Strategic Planning in An Evolving Environment: Trends Shaping Organizational Strategy in the Behavioral Health & Social Services Field” and “Strategic Planning: A Structured Approach to Maximizing Organizational Resources to Achieve Organizational Objectives” – Monica E. Oss, President, OPEN MINDS
• “How to Determine Which Services Merit Investment: Product Portfolio Analysis As a Strategic Planning Tool”; “Will Performance-Based Compensation Work for You? Organizational Approaches to Performance-Based Compensation in the Behavioral Health & Social Services Fields” and “Strategic Planning, Target Costing & Value Engineering: Developing a Cost Metrics-Based Approach to Organizational Strategy” – Edith L. Jardine, Executive Vice President, OPEN MINDS
• “Strategic Organizational & Program Performance Measurement – Developing An Organizational ‘Measurement Culture” and “Using Business Process Mapping As a Reengineering Tool” – Joseph Naughton-Travers, Senior Consultant, OPEN MINDS
• “A Look at Process Benchmarks in Behavioral Health: the Texas Community Solutions Productivity Database” – Randy Love, Deputy Director for Services & Support, Texas Community Solutions
• “Performance-Based Compensation in the Field: A Texas Community Solutions Case Study” – Shelly Smith, LMSW, Chief Executive Officer, & Landon Sturdivant, Chief Operating Officer, West Texas Centers for MH/MR and Charlie Boone, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Community Solutions
• “Diagnosing Your Operational & Financial Management Problems: A Texas Community Solutions Case Study” – Charlie Boone, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Community Solutions
• “Responding to the Demand to Do More for Less: Critical Success Factors for Transitioning to Capitation, Person-Centered Planning, & Best Value Purchasing for Mental Health & Mental Retardation Services” – tbd

OPEN MINDS has partnered with Texas Community Solutions to provide behavioral health and social service executives with the tools they need to successfully compete in today’s behavioral health and social service market. TCS offers business and technical support to Community Center Systems throughout Texas.

Sponsors of the event include: Multi-Health Systems, Inc., a leading developer of assessment and diagnostic tools with a reputation for publishing high quality measurements; ABSolute Integrated Solutions, an Application Service Provider, specializing in the behavioral health care industry; Creative Socio-Medics, a key provider of healthcare information systems (HIS) to the human services industry; Askesis Development Group, a behavioral health care management information systems provider; and Credible Wireless, Inc., a company that develops Palm-based solutions to dramatically improve the effectiveness of mobile workers, especially for paper-intensive businesses

The individual registration rate is $795 per person - register by February 24, and receive a $200 early bird discount ($595 per person). Government, academic and group enrollment rates are available. All networking and meal events are included in the registration fee.

OPEN MINDS is a behavioral health and social service industry research and management consulting firm. The company’s stock in trade is analyzing and disseminating information on the business, marketing, and financing aspects of behavioral health, child welfare, senior services, and human services. The firm was founded in 1987 and has three service divisions – information products, professional education, and research and management consultation services. The company commenced operations in April 1988 with the publication of the first issue of its flagship monthly publication. OPEN MINDS has developed a wide array of products and services – periodicals and books, datasets and database, education programs, research, and consultation services.

For more information or to register for the OPEN MINDS Strategic Performance Institute, contact: Kimberly Shughart at OPEN MINDS, 163 York Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-1933, (717) 334-1329, fax: (717) 334-0538, E-mail: kshughart@openminds.com or register on-line by visiting http://www.openminds.com.