Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
Abstract SAMHSA Early Diversion Grants, SM-23-012 Hennepin County Behavioral Health Center Expansion The Hennepin County Behavioral Health Center Expansion Project will expand hours at the Behavioral Health Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota to be open 7 days a week from 9 am - 9 pm. The BHC is a walk-in / drop-off center where residents with mental illness and co-occurring disorders who are at risk for committing minor, nonviolent and nuisance offenses can access stabilizing behavioral health and related services instead of receiving a criminal justice response. Hennepin Count's Behavioral Health Center (BHC) is designed to provide an early diversion response for residents with MI/COD who are symptomatic and struggling with community functioning, elevating their risk for criminal justice involvement on minor, nonviolent and nuisance offenses. Almost all BHC participants are Medicaid-eligible and 71% identify as BIPOC, most commonly as Black, Hispanic or American Indian. In 2021, at intake, 27% of BHC participants who were assessed had been booked into the Public Safety Facility within the past six months, 91 % had an inpatient hospitalization, AND 86% utilized the emergency department (average of 5.8 ED visits per person). The BHC provides a low-barrier alternative to jail or hospitalization for residents in behavioral health crisis. Law enforcement and other first responders can quickly transfer qualifying individuals to the BHC's care on a voluntary basis and return to calls for service. Residents can also walk in for services as self-referrals or with the support of trusted family and peers. The three-story BHC offers a comprehensive array of on-site resources including opioid-responsive Withdrawal Management, Mental Health Crisis residence, primary care including medication management and medicated assisted treatment, and county social service intakes. BHC case managers assess needs and connect residents to behavioral health supports of their choice (e.g., MI/COD treatment, rehabilitative services, targeted case management, ACT, permanent supportive housing, supported employment) over an average 60-day intervention. Peer support specialists, person-centered practices, and a Resident Advisory Group of BHC participants create a low-barrier and responsive environment for residents in behavioral health crisis. By the end of the five-year grant period, the BHC project will service 9,000 unique individuals with 20,000 connections to community-based behavioral health services and supports. The targeted benefits are a 10% reduction in jail bookings, a 15% reduction in emergency department visits, a 20% reduction in inpatient hospitalizations, and a 30% increase in the total number of claims for community-based mental health services. The lead applicant is Hennepin County's Behavioral health Division in partnership with justice system partners including the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Minneapolis Police Department, and additional stakeholders within the Hennepin County Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Initiative. By expanding access to low-barrier, comprehensive supports available at the Behavioral Health Center, Hennepin County will decrease racial disparities and further increase early diversion of residents with MI/COD, connecting them to stabilizing behavioral health and related resources that improve their community functioning.
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).
