Title: Georgia Emergency COVID-19 Project
The purpose of this program is to provide crisis intervention services, mental and substance use disorder treatment, and other related recovery supports for children and adults impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, the purpose of this program is to address the needs of individuals with serious mental illness, individuals with substance use disorders, and/or individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders. Additionally, the program will also focus on meeting the needs of individuals with mental disorders that are less severe than serious mental illness, including those in the healthcare profession. The project will serve four subpopulations: 1) youth survivors of human trafficking, 2) deaf individuals with SUD, 3) homeless individuals, and 4) medical, behavioral, and public health care professionals.
Strategies/Interventions:
1. Allocation of project funding, based on need, to DBHDD providers across the state for emergencies resulting from COVID-19 to help them continue to provide treatment (including expansion of telehealth capabilities) for people with SMI, SUD or co-occurring SMI and SUD that need behavioral health services.
2. Expansion of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network and Georgia Council on Substance Abuse peer warm lines to address increased call volume and the need for text/chat capability due to COVID-19
3. Expansion of COVID-19 Emotional Support Line that was established on April 6, 2020 by DBHDD in partnership with Behavioral Health Link and Beacon Health Options to provide 24/7 free and confidential assistance to callers needing emotional support or resource information as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Project funding will support line expansion to include an enhanced, dedicated line for service and supports for healthcare workers in need of behavioral health treatment and recovery services.
4. Technology and videoconferencing upgrades will be implemented at Hope House, one of the only residential addiction treatment options in the Southeast for deaf persons, so that individuals whose preference is to communicate in American sign language (ASL) can remotely connect to AA/NA recovery support groups at Hope House. AA/NA groups with remote ASL participation option will be provided on a weekly basis.
5. Using COVID-19 response grant funding, Wellspring Living's Receiving Hope Center, a ground breaking 20-bed, immediate triage receiving center for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) victims across the state of Georgia, will partner with Highland Rivers Health, to provide clinical and therapeutic support to meet the behavioral health needs of minors, ages 12-17, who are victims of human trafficking. Licensed Clinicians will deliver two to seven weekly individual session per participant, daily group sessions, and one monthly family session (when appropriate).
6. Project funds will be used to obtain housing resources for persons with SME and SUD who are homeless and that need to be quarantined or isolated. There is also a critical need for the availability of emergency housing to temporarily house individuals while they are in the process of being permanently housed via a Permanent Supportive Housing program. Additionally, DBHDD will pursue collaboration with the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network on the funding of quarantine/isolation emergency housing for individuals with SPMI/SUD.