Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
The Gulf Coast Region AOT Program (GCR-AOT), comprised of community partners from the Gulf Coast Center, Sun Behavioral Health, Galveston County Probate Court, and the Galveston County Mental Health Court, will reduce the incidence and duration of psychiatric hospitalization, emergency healthcare service usage, homelessness, incarceration, and other interactions with the criminal justice system by improving sustained treatment engagement, treatment adherence, and functional outcomes for adults age 18 years and older with serious mental illness (SMI) residing in Galveston and Brazoria Counties (Gulf Coast Region) Texas; thus, decreasing taxpayer burden related to justice system involvement and repeat emergency healthcare service usage. Located within the Gulf Coast area, this region is one of the largest, most diverse and rapidly growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., Galveston and Brazoria county's mental healthcare systems have been struggling to keep pace with the expanding demand for services post pandemic, particularly for those who are high need service consumers with minoritized identities from historically under resourced communities. During the course of this 4-year project, The GCR-AOT Program will serve a total of 125 (20 in Year 1, 30 in Years 2-3, and 35 in Year 4) unique uninsured/underinsured English and Spanish speaking residents with SMI in Galveston and Brazoria Counties, who have consistently demonstrated significant barriers to sustained voluntary treatment engagement and behavioral health treatment adherence. The GCR-AOT Program will leverage existing relationships between The Gulf Coast Center, SUN Behavioral Health and Galveston County Probate Court to build a regional coalition of stakeholders involved in the civil commitment process, thereby expanding existing collaborations between behavioral health entities and the criminal justice system to develop and fully implement an adult AOT program that holistically addresses the behavioral health needs of individuals with SMI in the greater Gulf Coast Regional area. Potential candidates for the GCR-AOT Program will be identified from individuals diagnosed with SMI admitted to SUN Behavioral. Also, the GCR-AOT Program's Care Coordination Liaison will identify additional potential program candidates by reviewing inpatient admissions at other area psychiatric hospitals in conjunction with The Gulf Coast Center’s list of patients who struggle with adherence with outpatient services and frequently use emergency psychiatric services or are frequently involved with the justice systems in the Gulf Coast area. Individuals civilly committed to the GCR-AOT program will receive individualized treatment planning based on assessment of substance misuse and trauma, in addition to their existing mental health issues. Furthermore, comprehensive evidence-based trauma-informed behavioral health and psychosocial services will be provided, such as case management, motivational interviewing (MI), psychosocial rehabilitation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Illness Management Recovery (IRM), Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Person-Centered Recovery Planning (PCRP), supported employment, and medication management as indicated. Implementation and outcomes of the GCR-AOT Program will be evaluated by an independent, university-based evaluation team through both formative and summative evaluation components to 1) ensure its congruence with program participants’ needs, applicable state laws, and program goals and 2) inform continual program improvement and quality assurance efforts.
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).
