Family Connections CCBHC-IA - Family Connections CCBHC-IA: Enhancing Care With a Focus on LGBTQIA+ Youth and Adults, Those at Risk for Suicide, and OUD Clients Who Would Benefit from MAT. Our CCBHC-IA will address disparities in access and BH outcomes for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. We will respond to rising local suicide rates by engaging individuals with suicidal ideation using the Zero Suicide framework (ZS) and EBPs to rapidly identify and respond to suicide risks. Additionally, we will enhance our patient- and family-centered, culturally competent care for underserved individuals who are living in poverty with mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses. This program will support people of all ages living with the most acute behavioral health (BH) conditions, including but not limited to adults with serious mental illness (SMI), people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who need medication assisted treatment (MAT), veterans and their families, and children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Our catchment area is Essex County, NJ, which has significant BH capacity gaps in evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally competent services that address BH and physical health (PH) needs and wraparound supports - particularly in the Urban Core of Newark, East Orange, Orange, and Irvington where our CCBHC site is located. More than half (58%) of our CCBHC-IA clients will be Black; 9% White; 1% Asian; 1% American Indian/Native Alaskan; 31% either Biracial or another race. 17% will be Latinx. Most (65%) will be female, 33% will be male, and 2% will be transgender. 7.1% will identify as LGB+. 19% will be children and youth under 18, with the remainder being adults over 18. 95% will face socio-economic challenges, including living below the Federal Poverty line, being uninsured, and/or homeless. 30.3% will have co-occurring MH conditions and SUD, and 30% will have a trauma-related diagnosis. We will serve 200 unduplicated individuals in Y1, 400 in Y2, and 500 in each of years 3 and 4 for a total of 1,600 served with these grant funds. FC will 1) build program capacity to meet 2023 revised CCBHC criteria by July 1, 2024, including conducting an updated CCBHC Needs Assessment; 2) expand our CCBHC capacity by hiring an LGBTQIA+ Clinician and an Assistant CCBHC Director within four months of award; 3) offer MAT to 100% of OUD clients for whom this is clinically appropriate; 4) improve access to care, in that 90% of people entering our CCBHC with routine needs will receive services within 10 business days and 90% with urgent needs will receive services within 1 business day; 5) reduce suicide-related risks for CCBHC clients by a) screening 100% for suicide risk using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale at intake, b) developing a Safety Plan with 100% of those with suicide-related risks using the Stanley Brown safety planning protocol, c) implementing ZS within one year of award by training 100% of CCBHC staff in ZS principles, and; d) pursuing the objectives of 60% of CCBHC clients who express suicidal ideation at intake not endorsing suicidal ideation after six months of engagement; 65% of adult consumers diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder/Dysthymia who have a score of 9+ on the PHQ-9 will reduce their score to less than 5 after 6 months of engagement; and less than 10% of clients discharged from a hospitalization and referred to our CCBHC will be re-hospitalized within 30 days of their discharge; 6) improve BH access and CCBHC outcomes for LGBTQIA+ individuals so that 70% who engage in family therapy will report improved family relations and 75% who engage in individual or group therapy will report improved social support. We will also connect 100% of middle and high school LGBTQIA+ youth to a Gender and Sexuality Alliance in their schools within 1 month of engagement with our CCBHC; train CCBHC staff in LGBTQIA+ cultural competency, and ensure 10+% of our Advisory Council self-identify as LGBTQIA+.
