BHcare is seeking a CCBHC-IA Grant to reinforce efforts from the CCBHC-Expansion Grant to improve access to care for adults with SMI, SUD, and co-occurring disorders and to implement new Evidence-Based Practices for children and families as well as LGBTQ+ identifying clients based upon assessment of local needs and disparities. BHcare also intends to build our agency capacity for measurement-based care approaches and model program sustainability.
BHcare, an existing CCBHC-Expansion grant recipient, is seeking a CCBHC-IA Grant to support and enhance culturally competent and trauma informed recovery services. BHcare has successfully met CCBHC criteria and project goals through evaluation and monitoring and intends to implement additional efforts to support wellness and recovery services for priority populations that have disproportionately struggled with access. BHcare will augment evidence-based practices and integration efforts begun with initial CCBHC implementation efforts.
Through the assessment and evaluation of our CCBHC Expansion implementation, as well as national, regional, and community needs assessments, BHcare has identified continuing need for enhanced access to services for all adults with SMI, SUD, and co-occurring disorders, continuing service and access needs for children and families, and the need for culturally responsive and affirming services for the LGBTQ+ community. Specific strategies include:
-Admissions Navigators will connect at least 80% of adults and children seeking services to same day access to initial evaluation and 85% to next-day psychiatric evaluation with medication services
-Mitigation of COVID access barriers to onsite care through an Infection Preventionist who will track staff COVID cases and ensure compliance with CDC recommendations for 100% of staff who exhibit COVID symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19
-Training 10 clinicians within 24 months in two children's evidence-based practices (Circle of Security and Triple P), serving at least 20 families and their children in years 2 and 3
-Training 90% of staff within 24 months on the terminology, general identity development, and disparities among LGBTQ+ populations across the lifespan, and best practices for behavioral health service providers
-Evaluating changes in attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors in working with LGBTQ+ clients via staff self-assessment (90% target), and perceptions of a welcoming environment (85% target) and staff competency (80% target) via consumer satisfaction surveys for LGBTQ+ identifying individuals
-Enhancing measurement-based care, as evidenced by 65% of chart reviews of person-centered recovery plans will reveal that screening and assessment tool scores informed measurable and actionable goals, objectives, and recovery criteria within 24 months
BHcare proposes to serve 250 unduplicated individuals in year 1 and 300 individuals each year after for a total of 1150 individuals served in the Lower Naugatuck Valley and Shoreline regions of Connecticut. BHcare's Local Mental Health Authority direct service area comprises 6.6% of Connecticut's total population with the eleven-town region having a total population of 237,026