Thursday, June 12, 2025
6/12/2025
Merakey Delaware County CCBHC Implementation - Under this application—Merakey Delaware County CCBHC Implementation— Merakey will fully implement the CCBHC model to serve adults with mental health and/or substance use disorders and children/youth with serious emotional/ behavioral disorders and/or substance use disorders living in the Merakey Delaware County CMHC geographic catchment area of the northern and eastern half of Delaware County, Pennsylvania—some 282,000 residents. Bordering Philadelphia, this area has a high population density with economically disadvantaged residents, a higher minority population (African-American) than the rest of Delaware county, higher unemployment rates, and high rates of individuals insured through Medical Assistance and Medicare. Historically, Merakey is one of two Base Service Unit comprehensive community mental health centers in the county. Under this grant proposal, Merakey will provide and expand mental health and substance use outpatient services and intensive outpatient services, mental health and substance use targeted case management services for adults and children, psychiatric rehabilitation and social rehabilitation services, supportive employment using the Individual Placement and Support model along with the contracted services of EDSI, peer and family support services, a forensic assertive community treatment team, and housing supports through its case management staff. For members of the armed forces and veterans, Merakey will provide the range of community based mental health care. In order to address physical health issues of individuals served, Merakey has an integrated care model with Delaware Valley Community Health, an FQHC, whose satellite primary care clinic is embedded in the Merakey clinic facility. As a Ryan White HIV/AIDS program provider, Delaware Valley Community Health provides a full range of HIV care and treatment services. Finally, Merakey will establish a Designated Collaborating Organization agreement with Elwyn so that Elwyn’s county-wide mobile psychiatric crisis team program will provide 24/7 crisis mental health services closely coordinated with Merakey services per the CCBHC requirements. Goals include reducing the stigma associated with behavioral health challenges and disorders, increasing the numbers of individuals who access behavioral health treatment, improving the primary/behavioral health coordination of care, improving coordination of MH and D&A services, and decreasing all cause hospital admission rates for “super-utilizers” of health care. Merakey will serve 3,500 individuals annually and some 4,500 individuals over the two years. Merakey Delaware County was certified by the state as a CCBHC in September, 2016. Substantive changes in the volume of individuals seen by Merakey during 2017 made the prospective payment system rate previously negotiated with the Commonwealth inadequate, and Merakey decided not to participate in the PA CCBHC two year demonstration project. This grant process resolves that issue. Given that Merakey has all of the CCBHC required services at the ready, this grant will allow full and quick implementation of the CCBHC model.
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).