Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Chautauqua County is a large rural area, occupying the extreme southwest corner of New York State, with individuals who have pronounced mental health and substance use disorder treatment needs. Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene (CCDMH) is the largest, most comprehensive provider of behavioral health services in this area. The CCBHC will fill service gaps; improve the physical and behavioral health, safety, and wellbeing of vulnerable county residents; relieve over-burdened emergency departments; and more effectively leverage resources. The project is Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Improvement and Advancement (CCBHC-IA) Grant. This project will serve the large rural county covering 1065 square miles of Chautauqua with a population of 125,196. Focus is on those who are in need of treatment for serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders. In Chautauqua County suicide death rates are 72% higher than in New York state as a whole; adults who experience frequent mental distress are among the five highest out of all 62 counties in NYS; Chautauqua County markedly surpasses regional and state rates for adult behavioral health hospitalizations and youth behavioral health hospitalizations; and the County has an accidental (drug) overdose death rate that is 56% higher than the entire state as a whole. These shocking statistics lead Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene (CCDMH) to the following project goals and objectives for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC): One: Increase access to behavioral health treatment by addressing disparities and providing services regardless of geographical location and service need; strengthen agency/organization partnerships within the county leading to greater ability to meet each individuals behavioral health need with timely access to mental health and substance use disorder services; Two: Coordinate flexible and recovery-oriented services by increasing work with Certified Peer Specialists and Family Peer Specialists; Third: Continue to grow and enhance community behavioral health crisis services. This will reduce by 10% the number of child/youth and adult behavioral health emergency department visits by developing specialized mobile crisis services for children/youth and increasing care coordination services. The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene (CCDMH) laid the ground work in establishing itself as a CCBHC in 2020. Our Local Governmental Unit (LGU), through the CCBHC, is poised to improve behavioral and physical health outcomes through increased access to quality care for all individuals. The CCBHC-IA grant will ensure the LGU success in fostering diverse health system partnerships and build on a multi-faceted strategy to promote behavioral health equity for all populations.
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).