Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
Massachusetts (MA) proposes to use SOC Expansion and Sustainability Funding to enhance access to mental health and co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) services for young adults ages 16-21 (YA) with a specific focus on developing and expanding culturally responsive systems of care. MA will expand its eight-city network of Young Adult Access Centers to two additional cities. These Centers offer peer support and are low-threshold hubs for engaging YAs in behavioral health services, while offering a welcoming, fun and supportive community. The MA Department of Mental Health (DMH) recognizes that older teens and young adults with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) have unique developmental and clinical needs and are often challenging to engage, especially those who face additional challenges of housing insecurity, low educational attainment and unemployment. DMH has worked closely with YA to design, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of Young Adult Access Centers that offer supports that are tailored to YA preferences and needs and responsive to the diverse cultures in the community. In non-COVID times, Access Centers provide a physical location where it is comfortable for YA to drop in. They are staffed by trained peers, who assertively reach out to YA disconnected from services, engage them in wraparound planning, and assist them to access needed MH, SUD, and health treatment, housing, education, and employment. Additionally, DMH recognizes that for many of these YA, rebuilding connections with families and other natural supports can be beneficial to their recovery and wellness. Access Centers strive to engage families with the consent of the YAs. With COVID, Access Centers are using Zoom and phone contact to keep in touch with YAs, who are experiencing a higher degree of distress and suicide and overdose risk. Clinical consultants will support the teams to navigate these challenges. The Commonwealth has chosen two cities, Chelsea and New Bedford to be sites for new Access Centers. Both are cities with high Latinx populations, many of them recent immigrants. Both experience high rates of poverty and high unemployment which have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Chelsea has had the highest rate of COVID infections, and New Bedford has one of the highest rates of opiate related deaths in the state. Youth and young adults who may have already been struggling with unemployment, housing insecurity and food insecurity are also now increasingly isolated. The goal of YA Access Centers is to increase the numbers of YA with MH and co-occurring SUD at high risk who engage in wraparound planning and access child and adult services on their own terms and in service of their own goals. After start-up, the Centers expect to serve 100-150 annually or 400-600 in total. In addition, the Centers will work closely with their respective DMH Area Offices to strengthen the ability of local service systems to better meet the needs of YA. Finally, DMH will work across state agencies to streamline access for young adults seeking MH and SUD treatment, insurance coverage, benefits, housing and employment opportunities.
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).
