Under the proposed project – the North Central Minnesota Behavioral Health Expansion Project – Northland Counseling Center (NCC) proposes to implement a two-year plan to become a CCBHC and increase the accessibility and quality of behavioral health assessment, treatment, and recovery services available in the region. Based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, NCC’s catchment area includes all of Itasca and Koochiching counties. Within this area, NCC is a hub and is the only community behavioral health agency that serves children and adults with a comprehensive range of services. As such, the non-profit organization serves a broad cross-section of the area population including members of the Bois Forte and Leech Lake Bands. Under the proposed project, the specific population to be served includes individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorders (SUD); including opioid use disorders; children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED); and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorders (COD). The work will focus on underserved subpopulations to reduce disparities in healthcare access and outcomes including low-income individuals, American Indian persons, individuals living in isolated, rural areas, and members of the Armed Forces and Veterans. Under the grant project, NCC will serve 3,300 unduplicated members of the population of focus during the first year and 3,600 in the second year for a total of 6,900. The strategies/interventions to be implemented under the project include the nine required CCBHC services, will be provided in outpatient and community-based settings, and will be evidence-based, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, integrated, and patient- and family-centered. Services will include comprehensive 24/7 access to mental health and substance use disorder services; treatment of co-occurring disorders; and physical healthcare. The goals for the proposed project are to: 1) Increase NCC’s standard of care by achieving 100 percent compliance with CCBHC criteria in regard to staffing, availability and accessibility of services, care coordination, scope of services, quality and reporting, and organizational authority, governance, and accreditation; and 2) Increase access to and utilization of comprehensive behavioral health services for individuals with SMI or SUD; including opioid use disorders; children and adolescents with SED; and individuals with COD. By the end of the two-year period key measurable objectives will include: 1) NCC will have met criteria to obtain CCBHC certification (within four months of award); 2) Increase by ten percent the number of people served by increasing accessibility through open access and a revamped intake process; 3) Expand care coordination to improve overall health of high-need, low-income adults with SMI, SUD (including opioid disorders), COD, and youth with SED; 4) Improve health and decrease health disparities among the service population by integrating primary care screening and health monitoring services; and 5) Expand quality improvement, data management, and reporting to improve health outcomes for NCC clients and long-term sustainability for NCC.
