Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The District of Columbia's (DC) emergency grant to address mental health and substance use disorders during COVID-19 has two primary goals: 1) to promote community resilience during the COVID-19 public health emergency; and 2) to improve timely access to emergency mental health services for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) or a co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder (SUD). Services supported by this grant also will be made available to health care practitioners and individuals with less serious mental health conditions who are impacted by COVID-19. Based on estimates from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 4.6% (26,620) of adults in DC, ages 18 or older, are living with an SMI and 3.7% (21,412) of adults are living with a co-occurring mental illness and SUD. COVID-19 has strained the resources of DC's behavioral health provider network, some of whom were already financially fragile and had limited telehealth capability for providing services. DC's Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) will implement a multi-pronged, evidence-based approach to treatment and recovery of impacted individuals. This will include expanded access to crisis intervention services, treatment, recovery support services, and greater adoption of tools for telehealth services. Specific strategies include: Implementing a mental health hotline/warm-line specific for individuals (including health practitioners) impacted by COVID-19; Providing grief and loss counseling to health care workers; Improving discharge planning at DC's 24-hour Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (known as CPEP) by enhancing connections to recovery support services (e.g. housing, employment) and care coordination and support provided by peer specialists; Engaging providers in telehealth training and technical assistance opportunities; Utilizing the faith-based community to educate the community on the availability of services to support residents impacted by COVID-19; and Creating a multidisciplinary team of providers to serve individuals with mental illness or SUD who are in isolation or quarantine and who require intensive services to maintain safety. Over the duration of this grant, the project expects to serve 20% of District residents with SMI, 10% of residents with a co-occurring disorder, and at least 500 health care practitioners providing care during the COVID-19 emergency.
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).
