Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The Wheeler Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) Program will serve children/adolescents and adults with serious emotional disturbance (SED), serious mental illness (SMI), and/or individuals with co-occurring disorders (COD) in five targeted communities in Connecticut (CT): Hartford, New Britain, Waterbury, Bristol and Plainville. The program will include rapid access to care, outreach and engagement, staff training, and self-care. Wheeler, a leading community mental health center and federally qualified health center, will implement the CMHC Program at five sites serving medically underserved and racially/ethnically diverse communities in CT. Despite CT having one of the highest average per capita income rates in the country, the targeted communities have very high poverty rates. Hartford (28%), Waterbury (23%), and New Britain (22%) have poverty rates more than double the state rate (9.9%). The target communities also have significant Black, Hispanic, and limited English proficient populations and Waterbury has been a significant COVID hotspot. Recognizing the detrimental impact of the pandemic on individuals with SED, SMI, or COD, in addition to COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on members of racially/ethnically diverse communities, the Wheeler CMHC Program will expand access to clinical and recovery support services in its service area. Program components will include: the addition of a Behavioral Health Access Team (BHAT) at each CMHC site for walk-in crisis and early intervention services and connection to psychiatric services; enhanced referral pathways through partnerships with faith-based and grassroots organizations; afterhours peer support; staff training on behavioral health disparities, engaging diverse populations, and the impact of the pandemic on behavioral health; and expanded self-care opportunities for staff including wellness and health coaching. Clients will be connected to evidence-based services to meet their individual needs including trauma services. The program evaluation will determine the effectiveness of the implementation and client outcomes utilizing GPRA and electronic health record data. Outcome objectives include: all CMHC participants will be offered peer engagement and early intervention/crisis assessment; 85% of participants who complete assessment will attend follow-up treatment; 75% of patients who call the afterhours crisis line will be diverted from the ED; 85% will have next day access to care; 100% of patients will have telehealth options; outreach to 600+ community members/year and linkage to program for 150 individuals/year; 100% of Wheeler BH staff will be trained in health disparities and trauma; and all BH will have access to self-care supports. The Wheeler CMHC Program will serve 500 clients each year for a total of 1,000 clients over the two-year grant period, will provide outreach to 600 individuals/year, and will provide training for all Wheeler BH staff.
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).
