Nevada County Behavioral Health (NCBH) has seen both increased demand and acuity of need for services for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevada County proposes to expand case management capacity for individuals with SMI by hiring a Case Manager and two Peer Supporters. Nevada County also proposes to increase support to families of clients with SMI by hiring a Peer Family Advocate.
Settled within the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California, Nevada County is a rural region with a population of nearly 100,000 residents. The project will focus on Medi-Cal eligible Nevada County residents with SMI or Co-occurring Disorders (COD) of SMI and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in need of case management, individuals receiving Full Service Partnership (FSP) services, and individuals in Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). This project proposes to serve 100 individuals annually and 200 individuals throughout the lifetime of the project.
The Case Manager and two Peer Supporters will provide culturally relevant and non-judgmental engagement services to remove barriers and increase clients’ ability to access services. The Peer Family Advocate will support the families of Full Service Partnership (FSP) clients with a focus on clients in Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). The Peer Family Advocate will provide psychoeducation, individualized support, and group support to families of those with mental illness, a strategy proven to facilitate recovery including reductions in rehospitalization rates.
Goal #1: Increase peer support staffing within the County Behavioral Health system of care to improve client engagement and participation in treatment
• Objectives: By 12/15/21, hire 2 new Peer Support staff; By 12/15/21, hire 1 new Peer Support Family Advocate staff to support families of FSP clients and AOT clients.
Goal #2: Increase the capacity of NCBH to provide peer-based and field-based case management services to clients with SMI or COD to improve treatment outcomes
• Objectives: By 9/30/23, provide case management, rehabilitation, and peer support services to 200 clients; By 3/1/22, establish two support groups focused on improving life skills and increasing social connections for individuals with SMI or COD; By 9/30/23, 60% of clients served by Case Manager and Peer Supporters will maintain or improve their Basis-24 scores.
Goal #3: Increase support to families of individuals with serious mental illness by implementing dedicated family support programming at Turning Point Community Programs.
• Objectives: By 9/30/22, offer individualized family support via the Peer Family Advocate to 100% of families of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) clients; By 3/1/22, establish and facilitate monthly Family Support Group for families of FSP and AOT clients; By 9/30/2023, 70% of families of Turning Point clients receiving support from the Peer Family Advocate will demonstrate decreased caregiver strain.