Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN 1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN 9 Enviornmental Scan Ryann A. Schreck University of Phoenix Online Strategic Planning and Implementation STR/581 Dr. Sidney Morse February 2, 2015 South Central Mental Health Counseling Center Environmental Scan External Environment Factors in the Remote Industry SCMHCC external business environment has a direct impact on its operations of providing its target customers with the needed mental health services. A close look at the external environment within, which SCMHCC operates, indicates that there are a number of factors that usually affects its operations in one way or another. SWOT Analysis · Strengths · Educated/Trained Staff · Wide range of services to meet consumer need · High consumer sasifaction · HIgh consumer retention · New EMR mangement software · No consumer denies services due to inability to pay. · Weaknesses · High staff turn around in some departments · Multiple locations create communication breakdown among management staff · Depends highly on state funds for operation · Changes in insurance with MCO's · Threats · Possible budget cuts · Competitors offering similar services · Polical issues surrounding the need for Community Mental Helath · Opportunites · Possible growth within the commuinity · Community partners · Opportunity for new programs Technological factors: in the recent years there have been many advances in the area of technology forcing many organizations in all sectors of the economy to keep up with these changes as try to increase their efficiency and effectiveness in all their operations. As health care provider organization SCMHCC has not been left behind as it has to keep up with numerous changes in the field of technology so with an aim of increasing operational efficiency in all its departments //(Folland,Goodman &Stano, 2007). For instance, the organization has to computerize all its operations, by developing different health care information management systems to make it easier to keep the customer records at all time. Therefore, in order to keep with this technology the organization has to invest millions of dollars in this area so as to ensure its systems are always in good conditions to avoid a scenario where threats to information security framework attack its IT framework impacting negatively in its day to day operations. On the other hand, customers are nowadays using online as a means of payment and other forms of wireless payment transfers, thus, in order for SCMHCC to remain competitive and retain its customers it must adapt these new technologies to become part of its overall operations. Legal factors: Given that the organization offers mental health services it has to comply with government regulations related to issues, such as the training of its employees, employing qualified health workers a.

1. Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN
1
ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN 9
Enviornmental Scan
Ryann A. Schreck
University of Phoenix Online
Strategic Planning and Implementation
STR/581
Dr. Sidney Morse
February 2, 2015
South Central Mental Health Counseling Center Environmental
Scan
External Environment Factors in the Remote Industry
SCMHCC external business environment has a direct
impact on its operations of providing its target customers with
the needed mental health services. A close look at the external
environment within, which SCMHCC operates, indicates that
there are a number of factors that usually affects its operations
in one way or another.

2. SWOT Analysis
· Strengths
· Educated/Trained Staff
· Wide range of services to meet consumer need
· High consumer sasifaction
· HIgh consumer retention
· New EMR mangement software
· No consumer denies services due to inability to pay.
· Weaknesses
· High staff turn around in some departments
· Multiple locations create communication breakdown among
management staff
· Depends highly on state funds for operation
· Changes in insurance with MCO's
· Threats
· Possible budget cuts
· Competitors offering similar services
· Polical issues surrounding the need for Community Mental
Helath
· Opportunites
· Possible growth within the commuinity
· Community partners
· Opportunity for new programs
Technological factors: in the recent years there have been
many advances in the area of technology forcing many
organizations in all sectors of the economy to keep up with
these changes as try to increase their efficiency and
effectiveness in all their operations. As health care provider
organization SCMHCC has not been left behind as it has to keep
up with numerous changes in the field of technology so with an
aim of increasing operational efficiency in all its departments
//(Folland,Goodman &Stano, 2007). For instance, the
organization has to computerize all its operations, by
developing different health care information management
systems to make it easier to keep the customer records at all
time. Therefore, in order to keep with this technology the

3. organization has to invest millions of dollars in this area so as
to ensure its systems are always in good conditions to avoid a
scenario where threats to information security framework attack
its IT framework impacting negatively in its day to day
operations. On the other hand, customers are nowadays using
online as a means of payment and other forms of wireless
payment transfers, thus, in order for SCMHCC to remain
competitive and retain its customers it must adapt these new
technologies to become part of its overall operations.
Legal factors: Given that the organization offers mental
health services it has to comply with government regulations
related to issues, such as the training of its employees,
employing qualified health workers and meeting other standards
that have been set by the government as it carry out its
operations. On the other hand, SCMHCC has to comply with
OSHA standards regarding safety as well as health standards in
its operations. Failure to comply with these standards may
result to the hospital being fined heavily. Another legal issue
that has a direct impact on the operations of the mental health
center is its legal status. It is a nonprofit organization; therefore
it has to comply with all regulations that guide nonprofit
organizations in its jurisdiction of operations, such as filing tax
returns and other legal issues that it has to always take into
consideration in all its activities.
Economic factors: it is impact to note that the prevailing
economic conditions at any given time have a direct effect on
the SCMHCC business activities. The purchasing power of the
customers is determined by the prevailing conditions in the
economy, such as inflation levels, taxes and other factors.The
ability of the organization to generate revenues to finance its
operations from donors, government and customers during bad
economic times, such as when there is slow economic growth
and high levels of inflation reduces, affecting negatively its
ability to offer quality services to its customers.
Social factors: there are many changes in the society,
which are affecting the way organizations conducts their

4. operations. In the Butler County in the recent years, there have
been many changes in the social system, leading to a high
number of breaks up in families, stress issues. Therefore, the
organization is always affected by the changes as it
overwhelmed by the number of people seeking mental health
services to overcome mental health challenges that are brought
by changes in the County social system(Kennerley& Neely,
2003).
External Operating Environment
SCMHCC operations are in one way or another affected or
likely to be affected a number of issues in its external operating
environment. Firstly, changes in the legal framework guiding its
operations, means that the organization has to comply with
changes and in most cases the changes are always costly to
implement. On the other hand, the organization has to invest
heavily in the area of health information management systems,
such as health record systems in order to ensure that it operates
in a smooth manner. Lastly, reduction in the amount of revenue
that SCMHCC is able to raise from it different sources of
finance may have a negative impact on its ability to carry its
operations in a smooth manner.
Internal Environment Analysis
Internal Strengths: There are a number of strengths that
SCMHCC has that makes it easier for it to carry out its
operations. To start with, its legal statues make it easier for it to
generate revenues from government grants and contributions
from well-wishers. Secondly, the organization has qualified
team of professionals making it one of the best mental health
centers in its target market. Thirdly, the ability of the
organization to offer subsidized services to its customers
increases the number of people who seeks for mental health
services from it, thereby being able to increase its abilities to
generate revenues. On the other hand, ability to computerize its
services and records is another strength that the organizations
has, as this increases its operational efficiency, which is critical

5. when it comes to the reduction of the cost of operations.
Additionally, diversification of services that the SCMHCC
offers to its customers is also an important area of strength.
This means that the organization has the ability to generate
income from different services it offers to the client, making it
easier to run its operations during hard economic times.
Furthermore, the organization has personalized the
services that it offers to its clients, whereby customers are
treated as individuals rather than groups. This a great internal
strength that the organization has as it enables it to enhance the
value of services that it offers to its customers; hence creating
their loyalty towards the services it offers to them. Lastly, the
organization has highly committed employees to its vision and
mission statement. The commitment of the employees its vision
and mission statement makes them provide high quality services
to its customers throughout a financial year.
Internal weaknesses: after examining the internal
environment in which SCMHCC operates in, it reveals a number
of weaknesses that the organizations has. Firstly, the
organization does not invest in the area of research. Research is
a critical component when it comes to provision of health
services to the general public. Failure of the organization to
invest in research makes it difficult to keep with the changing
pace of the mental health field. Secondly, the organization has
not yet fully implemented the OSHA standards, putting its
employees at risks of being attacked by mentally sick people. It
also puts their health at risk due to poor disposal of waste
materials. Lastly, relying mainly on donors fund is a weakness
as during hard economic times the donations reduces, making
the organization not been in a position to offer all its services in
an effective manner(Baron, 2003).
Organizational Resources
SCMHCC has rich resources that make it easier to offer its
services to the target customers. Firstly, the organization has
human resource that is committed to its mission and vision

6. statements. Secondly, SCMHCC has huge financial resources at
its disposal. It is able to generate income to meet its operational
costs from donors, government grants and the revenues that it
generates from subsidized prices that it charge its customers.
On the other hand, the organization hasa rich technical
resources, such as good technology that enhances the efficiency
of its business activities.
Competitive Position and Possibilities
Given that SCMHCC is a nonprofit organization, it is able
to offer its mental health services at subsidized services, giving
it’s a competitive advantage when compared to profit making
organizations. This means that most of the customers prefer the
organization services because they are cheaper compared to the
ones that are offered by its main competitors in the market. On
the other hand, due to the legal business status of the
organization, it has the possibility of receiving massive support
from the government and well-wishers boosting its financial
resources in the future.
Organizational Structure
Every business organization has its own structure in place
depending on its needs. In the case of SCMHCC it has a
functional organizational structure. The structure is organized
in a manner that departments and units are divided based on the
functions that they play towards the attainment of the
organization goals and objectives(McPhee & Poole, 2001). The
department heads are supposed to report to the organization’s
board of management, which is the central decision maker on
the key issues affecting the organization. SCMHCC
organizational structure enhances its performances as it allows
for division of labor, thereby increasing the quality and
standards of services offered by each division.

7. References
Baron, D. P. (2003).Business and its Environment (p. 2). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Folland, S., Goodman, A. C., &Stano, M. (2007).The economics
of health and health care (Vol. 6). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Kennerley, M., & Neely, A. (2003).Measuring performance in a
changing business environment.International Journal of
Operations & Production Management, 23(2), 213-229.
McPhee, R. D., & Poole, M. S. (2001). Organizational
structures and configurations.The new handbook of
organizational communication: Advances in theory, research
and methods, 503-543.