Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Central Oklahoma American Indian Health Council, Inc. dba Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC), the largest urban Indian clinic in the nation, will address the mental health impact of COVID-19 among the nearly 100,000 AIs living in central Oklahoma. The urban AI population living in Oklahoma has disproportionate mental and physical health problems, higher rates of poverty and lower rates of insurance coverage. This grant will allow OKCIC to mobilize its existing behavioral health program to address expected increases in AI mental health needs associated with COVID-19. OKCIC serves over 20,000 American Indians (AIs) living in central Oklahoma, the 41st-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Oklahoma already has the second-highest rate for serious psychological distress in adults and the state’s suicide rate is growing 38% above the national average. Oklahoma has the highest concentration of AIs of all states, a population with some of the worst health outcomes of any population, particularly in mental health. As with other health challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic is proving to have a disproportionate impact on AI populations, according to Johns Hopkins. Many AI communities were essentially wiped out by the 1918 flu pandemic and experts say living conditions have not significantly improved since. Not only do AIs have more conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19 (diabetes, heart disease, poverty) but are more likely to be uninsured and less likely to seek early treatment. This pandemic creates a perfect storm for poor mental health outcomes among AIs. As a medical home clinic, OKCIC is well-positioned to implement a response to severe mental illness problems that result from COVID-19. Key strategies will include implementing a best-practices screening program, hiring additional behavioral health therapists, implementing behavioral health telemedicine strategies, creating a medication-assisted treatment program for opioid use disorder, launching a crisis intervention strategy, offering wrap-around resources, providing linkages to insurance opportunities, and providing mental health services for our own health providers. OKCIC has effective systems in place to measure data and manage quality improvement. OKCIC’s achievements in identifying, measuring and achieving positive outcomes has been recognized nationally. OKCIC will begin expanding services immediately upon award notification and will fully implement the strategies within four months.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
