Friday, April 25, 2025
4/25/2025
SAMHSA CMHC: Increasing Access to Care and Addressing Impacts of the Pandemic for SED, SMI, and SUD/COD Populations - Project Abstract for New Vista’s Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) Grant New Vista is a Community Mental Health Center serving 17 counties in central Kentucky and offering person-centered, trauma informed, integrated behavioral health, substance use and primary care services. The CMHC grant provides program support and allows us to increase service access to address the increased needs that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. New Vista offers a comprehensive array of services, serving urban and rural communities. The populations of focus for the proposed programs include individuals who have been most negatively impacted by the pandemic: those with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Co-Occurring Disorder (COD), and/or Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) in a seventeen county catchment area that our Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) currently serves in Kentucky. These counties include Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mercer, Nicholas, Powell, Scott, and Woodford. Demographically, Kentucky is about 87% white and 10% African American, the counties above have a similar make up. Kentucky’s poverty rate is 16.3% and higher in rural areas, again the counties served by New Vista are in line with that average. Through strategic use of telehealth capabilities, New Vista plans to provide at least 200 primary care telehealth visits each grant year. With improvements to space, New Vista plans to increase access to residential SUD treatment beds to 48 women annually and increase access to IOP services by 10%. To address unmet needs of children in the pandemic, New Vista plans to work with schools and deliver 8 therapeutic groups annually. By hiring community engagement specialist and a school liaison, New Vista plans to create low barrier referral pathways and access into care through 20 new or expanded MOUs with schools and community partners. A volunteer manager and new volunteer positions on New Vista’s helpline will increase access to services and assist in ensuring a call abandonment rate below 12% (7% decrease) and that 80% of calls will be answered in 30 seconds. Lastly, New Vista intends to increase staff accessibility and competency surrounding the impact of the pandemic on the populations of focus. New Vista will provide culturally and linguistically competent trainings to increase knowledge of health disparities, social determinants of health and integrated care. New Vista will train peers in the management of client grief, isolation and loneliness as a result of the pandemic. New Vista understands that telehealth is needed beyond the pandemic so funds will also be used to upgrade work from home equipment for staff to allow for best possible communication and reduced screen fatigue. It is thought that 15% of clients will opt to receive telehealth services. New Vista expects to serve 300 clients annually and 600 total in the grant period.
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).