Providing Mobile Outreach Support to Rural Communities for Increased Mental Health and Substance Use Needs Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic - Eyerly Ball Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) will increase the availability and accessibility of mental health and substance use services to consumers of all ages in rural communities through its proposed CMHC project entitled, “Providing Mobile Outreach Support to Rural Communities for Increased Mental Health and Substance Use Needs Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This project’s population of focus includes children and adults with serious mental illness (SMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), and co-occurring disorders (COD) located within the catchment area of Greene, Madison, Marshall, Jasper, and Poweshiek counties in rural Iowa. This catchment area and consumer population identified the availability and accessibility of mental health, substance use, and crisis services for all ages within their communities as top areas of concern in community needs assessments. Additionally, the assessments identified a lack of mental health and substance abuse resources and awareness within the communities. It is significant to note these identified needs, as the assessments were conducted several years prior to COVID-19. Research is beginning to come out now about the negative impacts of the pandemic on the stability of mental health, as well as increased levels of substance use, and it is likely that the previously identified needs have only intensified within this catchment area. In order to address these needs, Eyerly Ball CMHS proposes to purchase a specialty vehicle and hire positions to staff a Mobile Outreach Team of mental health professionals, consisting of two licensed therapists, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, two Behavioral Health Navigators, and a Peer Support Professional who are able to travel throughout the five identified counties to provide a variety of mental health services to consumers in traditionally hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, Eyerly Ball CMHS proposes to hire a Training Support Specialist who will be trained in four curriculum-based mental health trainings in order to provide easily accessible trainings to community members and to increase knowledge of mental health and substance use conditions, as well as increase awareness of supportive treatment options available to individuals who may need recovery assistance. With project funding, Eyerly Ball CMHS is proposing the following goals: to improve access of clinical and recovery support services to rural communities by providing outpatient services, trauma informed care, case management, peer support services, and patient-centered treatment delivery; decrease emergency department utilization by increasing accessibility of mental health and substance use services and promoting availability of crisis services; and to provide trainings and resources to CMHC employees and community members which address the mental health and wellness needs, including those which may have arisen as a result of the pandemic, to increase awareness and reduce stigma. Eyerly Ball CMHS will serve 200 unduplicated clients each year of the two-year grant project.
