Meet Santa Ana Unified School District 

The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) is the second-largest school district in Orange County, California. This robust district includes schools for all grades K-12 and supports more than 40,000 students with health care services, including mental health and behavioral health support.  

SAUSD Needed Specialized Software for Schools 

SAUSD approached Exym because they needed a confidential space for documentation that could only be accessed by mental health staff. They needed a user-friendly, understandable, intuitive software program for mental health interns who were new to the field. They also required fillable forms. 

Exym Has the Features SAUSD Needs

1. Streamlines student health record management 
2. Improves care coordination and communication 
3. Provides efficient documentation with forms and secure document sharing 
4. Enhances data analytics and reporting 
5. Allows for easy management of mental health interns 

Let us now consider the importance of each of these features and discuss how the Exym team was able to use these features to help SAUSD.

The Importance of Streamlining Student Health Record Management  

According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), on average, medical care professionals who do not use a standardized, structured electronic health record (EHR) spend at least 35% of their time documenting cases and writing reports.  

In a school setting, Exym's EHR software for schools makes completing time-consuming documentation and case notes quick and easy. It allows professionals to visit with more students each week and spend quality time doing what is most important, helping students. Within school districts like SAUSD— in this case, a large and diverse school district — this means fewer children "fall through the cracks" when they need mental or behavioral health support, and evidence of interventions is clearly documented in easily accessible records. By using Exym to streamline processes, SAUSD is able to improve outcomes for students.

Improving Care Coordination & Communication  

U.S. children and young adults currently face a more complicated, and often, more stressful school experience than any other generation. Their mental, emotional, and behavioral health issues are complex and evolving, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2022, three organizations combined resources to study the current mental health state of California students. The California Association of School Counselors (CASC), the Center to Close the Opportunity Gap, and ACLU California Action published the State of Student Wellness Report for California.

Their study suggests that CA students grapple with the following: 

• Increased social anxieties 
• Depression 
• Body image issues  
• Self-harm and suicidal ideation 
• Panic attacks
  

Some shocking realities: 

• 65% of California students reported that they experienced emotional meltdowns during school 
• 43% of them endured a panic attack or anxiety attack during school 
• 22% disclosed that they missed three or more days of school due to mental health struggles

Statistics like these suggest that students need more access to care, and their notes and documents need to be available for fast (yet secure) sharing with other mental health professionals. By improving coordination and communication among mental health care providers and social workers for schools, SAUSD and Exym make it easy for children to get the correct care quickly.  

SAUSD is a large school district, and Orange County is home to 3.151 million residents. If you are unfamiliar with the area, it is slightly less populous than Los Angeles County.  

Large populations, whether we are talking about school districts, hospitals, corrections facilities, counties, or state programs, all have a reputation for bureaucracy. At Exym, we understand that mental health emergencies (especially amongst children) are a high priority and should not be subject to organizational red tape. Our software for schools allows staff to quickly access contact information and vital records in an emergency, so that information can be passed on to care teams.

Secure Document Sharing  

There is no doubt that more frequent care and thorough notes can improve outcomes for students in need of mental health services. At Exym, information security and student privacy are always at the forefront of our concerns. Our security posture is in alignment with HIPAA and FERPA, as demonstrated through an independent system audit from a third party.

Exym software for schools makes it easy to share student information privately and securely among school professionals so that confidential student records are held to the same exacting standards.  With our EHR software, Santa Ana Unified School District can rest easy knowing their data and records are safe and secure.

Improved Data Analytics & Reporting 

Did you know that software for schools can make it easier to report to school boards, secure funding, and write grants? School professionals need the ability to sort, qualify, and quantify student data for more thorough analytics. Exym's EHR software for schools allows care providers at Santa Ana Unified School District to identify trends among their school populations, view, and sort by demographics, and track at-risk groups and resources provided. With this level of data access and understanding, school mental health professionals can proactively monitor, study, report on, and act in the best interests of their students’ physical and mental health.

SAUSD’s EHR Software is Easy for School Social Workers and Interns to Learn 

SAUSD specifically requested EHR software that would be easy to use, monitor, and learn because they have new school social workers and interns coming into the district annually. In other words, their ideal EHR solution would not require a long learning curve, advanced computer skills, or intense (and expensive) training because the current interns must become efficient quickly, and new interns will take their place every year.  

Exym's EHR software for schools is easy to use for inexperienced users and those new to the mental health care profession. The software provides oversight capabilities as well, so supervisors can easily audit and monitor interns’ work and track their hours. While some training is required, it is not time or resource intensive. That means that SAUSD's interns are working quickly and efficiently as soon as possible, and their supervisors have less to keep track of.  

Exym’s Software Yields Good Results for SAUSD 

Upon completion of the implementation of their software, we received a glowing testimonial from SAUSD Mental Health and Support Coordinator Olivia Dahlin, MS LMFT. 

She said, 

We appreciate that meaningful feedback, and it is worth sharing! 

Exym Provides EHR Solutions for Schools & More 

Exym creates EHR software for schools and California school districts, mental health organizations, substance abuse treatment centers and more.  

If you are ready to learn more about our easy to use, secure, and user-friendly software, book a demo now. Our customer spend less time writing reports and more time caring for clients. We look forward to eliminating your pain points, sharing your glowing reviews, and writing a customer spotlight for your organization too! You can also visit our Schools page to see how we help other school districts in your area.

Exym is a comprehensive EHR software solution designed specifically for behavioral health agencies. Trusted for 20+ years, our intuitive and customizable software empowers providers to improve client outcomes, manage revenue cycles, and increase agency efficiency. Exym allows you to spend more time on what matters most- the clients in your care.