Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Collaborative Interdisciplinary Evaluation and Community-based Treatment (CONNECT) - Bernalillo County (NM) Department of Behavioral Health Services (BC) is ideally positioned to develop a system of care to expand the capacity to serve youth at high risk for psychosis, with the aim of improving current function and delaying or preventing onset of psychosis. The core clinical service will be the COllaborative INterdiscipliNary Evaluation and Community-based Treatment (CONNECT) program, located at the University of New Mexico Hospitals (UNMH). The goals of CONNECT are to 1) Increase the capacity to provide outreach and other engagement strategies to youth 12-25 years old at high risk for psychosis and their families, 2) Increase the capacity to screen and assess youth who may be at high risk for psychosis and co-occurring disorders, 3) Increase the capacity to provide evidence-based interventions using a stepped-care model to youth that addresses symptoms and behaviors associated with psychosis, 4) Increase the capacity to collaborate across UNMH program and community agencies and programs to ensure coordinated care, and 5) Demonstrate improved outcomes among enrolled individuals. Specific EBPs include use of a two-step screening process, in which the Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief is followed by the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes. Interventions will be based on the NAVIGATE program, modified for high-risk youth, including psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral skills training; supportive education and employment, and evidence-based pharmacotherapy. Additional EBPs to be added as indicated include Whole Health Action Management for health promotion, Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy for youth with a trauma history. Peer and Family Support Workers will provide many of the support services. CONNECT will work closely with the UNM First Episode Clinic and other health services to streamline referrals for youth developing psychosis and transitions between child and adult services. Other critical components of the system of care such as community-based crisis intervention, community engagement programs, and housing support will be performed through other BC Behavioral Health Services programs and community partners. Client level outcomes will be regularly assessed using validated outcome measures. Specific outcomes tracked will be improvement in social and occupational/educational functioning, decrease in overall behavioral health symptoms, decrease in duration of untreated psychosis prior to referral to UNM First Episode Clinic. BC and UNMH have committed in-kind matching funds to supplement the services through access to BC funded behavioral health and support services and UNMH administrative and supervision supports. CONNECT is expected to screen 450 youth at high risk for psychosis, conduct 225 assessments, and enroll 130 youth in services over the life of the grant with 20 enrolled in year 1, 30 in year 2, and 40 each in both years 3 and 4.
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).