Wednesday, May 14, 2025
5/14/2025
BMHA_CCBHCBerrien Mental Health Authority_Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic - Berrien Mental Health Authority dba Riverwood Center (RWC) CCBHC Expansion Project (BMHA_CCBHC) proposes to expand its services to residents who experience or are at risk of developing severe mental illness, severe emotional disturbance, and/or substance use disorders. Project aims include enhancing our integrated healthcare approach through improving coordination with local primary care providers; expanding access and engagement methods to our substance use services array; increasing trauma-informed treatment practices; and implementing new evidenced-based interventions (EBPs) to improve care for those who experience acute behavioral health (BH) crisis. This grant will serve 720 Berrien County residents over the next 2 years, with additional broad community impacts. Berrien County is a mix of both urban and rural communities in southwest Michigan with traditionally underserved populations including disproportionately high African American representation. RWC currently works with approximately 4200 consumers annually, including children through older adult. Many of these consumers suffer from preventable/treatable medical conditions such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, and infectious diseases and/or other health risk behaviors which will be addressed with grant funding. 90% of RWC consumers will receive increased screening and, when warranted, intervention and monitoring of health risk behaviors/conditions. Integral to this effort will be improving the exchange of health information (HIE) among health care providers, as evidenced by communication with external providers and an increase in the notification rate when RWC consumers present at local ERs for BH needs, to 80% of all occurrences. RWC will leverage grant funds to expand and improve services to individuals who experience acute BH conditions via a multipronged approach, including: expansion of our mobile crisis team; offering increased flexibility to respond to acute BH crisis situations throughout the community; 24-hour follow-up contact for consumers discharging from acute BH care settings; and enhancing RWC’s EBP as supported by 90% of clinical staff receiving Motivational Interviewing (MI) and trauma-informed care trainings. Expanding access and increasing engagement rates for BH treatment are other key population health issues that will be addressed by targeting the increasing suicide and substance use (including opioid use) rates. Access and engagement with services will be targeted, with a goal of 80% of consumers initiating treatment within 14 days and 65% of those individuals receiving at least 2 additional interventions within 34 days. RWC is guided by the tenants of the Quintuple Aim: 1) enhancing the quality of healthcare and the experience of the person served; 2) improving population health; 3) controlling cost; 4) improving the work-life of providers (including recruitment and retention of the behavioral health workforce); and 5) health equity, by working to eliminate or close health disparities. The CCBHC Expansion Grant is vital to RWC maintaining this path.
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).