Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
Critical support from SAMHSA, through a CCBHC Expansion Grant, will allow CHR, Connecticut's most comprehensive, non-profit behavioral healthcare agency and the only agency to meet all CCBHC criteria, to immediately enhance its existing services for children, families, and adults with mental illness, substance use disorders, opioid use disorders, and serious emotional problems. CHR's proposal, called CT Now, builds on the groundbreaking work CHR started with SAMHSA in 2018 to expand 24/7 crisis care; enhance engagement strategies to help individuals connect with life-saving addiction services; add new behavioral health resources for veterans and their families; and launch a Family Medicine clinic for CHR clients. CT Now takes those initiatives a step further, adds more integrated care services for children and families, and fosters sustainability planning for all of these life-saving programs. The population to be served includes adults with serious mental illness, substance use disorders (including opioid use disorders) and co-occurring disorders, as well as youth with serious emotional disorders in 20 towns in central Connecticut. This is an area that has been hard hit by the opioid use crisis, with 89 overdose deaths in 2019. About 30% of households earn less than the basic cost of living and data indicates critical gaps in care for youth and adults with unmet mental health and integrated care needs. To expand services in the region, goals, strategies and interventions will include expanding crisis stabilization services to mitigate high risk behaviors; sustaining and expanding integrated care services for people of all ages; enhancing recruitment and retention efforts of clinical staff so CT Now goals are met; and expanding access to evidence-based wellness programming for people of all ages. Measurable objectives will include providing same-day access to MAT for OUD referrals by month 5; providing same-day access to Psychiatric Evaluation with and MD or APRN for individuals with acute symptoms of SMI; using peer staff to increase engagement by 75% with individuals who had a recent hospitalization or crisis assessment; expanding Saturday business hours by month 4 in 2 locations; providing vaping education to youth; screening for HIV and viral hepatitis (A, B, and C) in individuals with SUD and high-risk behaviors and linking 75% of newly diagnosed to infectious disease specialist by month 3; expanding CHR Family Medicine from 20 to 40 hours a week by month 3; implementing EBP Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) uniformly across CHR sites; leveraging the work of a dedicated CHR HR recruiter to help recruit strategically-needed clinical staff and working with the Associate Medical Director to enhance retention through mentoring, CEU reimbursement and more; and expanding access to EBP wellness programming. We expect to serve approximately 450 unique clients of all ages annually through CT Now and 575 through the two-year period.
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).
