SmartCare Knowledge Base
UX design | information architecture | messaging | illustration
2026, California
California Mental Health Service Authority (CalMHSA) is a Joint Powers Authority formed by California counties to develop collaborative programs that improve behavioral health care. To deliver care, participating counties rely on SmartCare, an electronic health records (EHR) system that can be difficult to navigate. Its unintuitive workflows contribute to inconsistent medical documentation, missed processes, and unfiled claims.
To address these challenges, CalMHSA developed the SmartCare Knowledge Base, a centralized resource designed to support everyone involved in delivering behavioral health services. The website serves as both an onboarding tool for new employees and an ongoing reference for experienced staff, helping them stay informed about system updates, workflows, and the latest protocols.
We heard in user research that healthcare professionals rarely have the time to sift through lengthy documentation. Instead, they rely on coworkers for answers or use Ctrl + F to hunt for specific information—workarounds that are often faster but can lead to inconsistent results. We recognized that for the Knowledge Base to become the go-to source of information, it needed to be just as quick, intuitive, and accessible as the shortcuts employees were already using.
Our primary goal was to make any piece of information discoverable within three clicks. To achieve this, we organized the site into role-based hubs that surface only the most relevant resources for each audience. Content is presented in scannable, easy-to-navigate cards, allowing employees to quickly identify what they need and get back to their work.
Another key insight from user testing was that people have different instincts when it comes to navigating websites and finding information. Rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach, we designed multiple pathways to support different navigation preferences. A robust search experience gives users a direct route to specific information, while a card-based catalog provides a more visual, exploratory way to browse resources. Together, these approaches reinforce our three-click goal while allowing users to find information in the way that feels most natural to them.
Ultimately, the goal was to design around users’ existing behaviors and mental models, rather than asking them to learn an entirely new way of finding information.
Given the complexity of the SmartCare EHR system, employees frequently need to troubleshoot issues or learn new workflows and protocols. To keep users informed and provide support when they need it, we introduced a filterable Bulletin feed featuring weekly updates, making important announcements easier to find and reference. We also incorporated live chat functionality in the footer, giving users an additional, accessible channel to get help without having to leave the Knowledge Base.
CalMHSA’s SmartCare Knowledge Base is currently in development. As part of a CalMHSA innovation team, I played a hands-on role in shaping the product from the ground up—from establishing the information architecture and content hierarchy to designing the user experience and leading user research and usability testing.