Tuesday, June 10, 2025
6/10/2025
Merakey Delaware County Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Continuation - Merakey Delaware County is submitting an application under the recent federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) FY 2020 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Expansion FOA in order to receive a two year grant to continue the full range of CCBHC services that Merakey Delaware County established in 2018. Under this application, Merakey Delaware County will 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. There are some 282,000 residents in this catchment area. Bordering Philadelphia, the area served by Merakey has a high population density with economically disadvantaged residents, a higher minority population than the rest of Delaware county, higher unemployment rates, and high rates of individuals insured through Medical Assistance and Medicare. For the county at large, the suicide rate (13.0/100,000) and the cirrhosis death rate for Delaware County are both the highest rates in the 5 county southeastern PA region including Philadelphia. The drug induced death rate (37/100,000) is the second only to Philadelphia in the 5 county region. Historically, Merakey is one of two Base Service Unit comprehensive community mental health centers in the county. Under this grant proposal, Merakey will provide 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, supported employment using the Individual Placement and Support model, 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 that is consistent with clinical mental health guidelines promulgated by the VHA. 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, under the CCBHC clinic model, Merakey established a Designated Collaborating Organization agreement with Elwyn so that Elwyn’s county-wide mobile psychiatric crisis team program provides 24/7 crisis mental health services closely coordinated with Merakey services. Merakey will coordinate services with the Delaware County Office of Behavioral and with the Delaware County State Health Center which provides community health assessments and community outreach. Merakey will also coordinate its CCBHC grant project with the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. This coordination with the state will focus on the sharing of service and outcome data and planning for sustainability after the termination of the grant period. This grant, if awarded, will provide for a continuation of the CCBHC clinic model that Merakey Delaware County began in 2018. As such, the grant is an opportunity to assess those outcomes that require a longer term of intervention to produce significant impact—psychiatric and medical inpatient and emergency room utilization/costs and the total cost of health care.
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).