Tuesday, May 6, 2025
5/6/2025
Integrated Healthcare Expansion as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic - Four County Mental Health Center, Inc. proposes to strengthen and expand current behavioral health services and collaborate with physical healthcare providers to create a comprehensive and integrated healthcare model across Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Montgomery, and Wilson Counties in Southeast and South Central Kansas. This highly rural area is home to an estimated population base of 81,820. The region has an estimated 17.2% of persons living in poverty and an average median annual household income of $43,330. There are widespread risk factors for the area including intergenerational behavioral health conditions, social norms favorable to substance use, early onset drinking and use of substances, high rates of depression, and death by suicide rates that are 3% higher than the national average. The area is considered a Health Professional Shortage Area and citizens of the region must seek care outside the geographical boundaries for many critical services and supports. The project will serve an estimated 6,575 unduplicated individuals in Year 1 and 6,970 individuals in Year 2. The CCBHC will serve everyone, regardless of their ability to pay or their county of residence. The primary target population for services will be individuals with mental health conditions, substance abuse disorders, or co-occurring disorders who lack health insurance coverage, are underinsured, or health insurance has been formally deemed unaffordable. There will also be concerted care coordination efforts placed on the Service Member, Veteran, and their Families (SMVF) priority population. The goals of the project are 1) to increase population penetration for integrated healthcare services through the CCBHC model of care which involves service expansion and collaborative efforts with area healthcare providers, and 2) increase human resource capacities to promote the attraction and retention of qualified personnel through increased wages and strategic recruiting efforts. Year 1 Objectives for Goal 1 include: increasing the number of patients served; providing care coordination services to at least 100 SMVF; having at least 50% of CCBHC patients with a Primary Care Provider listed in their electronic health record; providing Assertive Community Treatment to at least 50 individuals; tracking and quarterly reporting on key health indicators of at least 75% of enrolled patients; hiring of additional treatment staff to serve unmet needs; and creating more culturally-sensitive practices for the SMVF population through PsychArmor training. Year 1 Objectives for Goal 2 include: increasing social media recruiting efforts by 30%; fostering relationships with schools and key statewide job placement organizations to increase recruiting opportunities by 30%; broadening opportunities for referral bonuses and increase the bonus amounts by at least 30%; create more competitive salary and benefit packages to reduce the number of open positions by 30%; and reducing employee turnover attributed to low salaries by 30%.
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).