Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Project Title: FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion (BHSE) Applicant Organization Name: PanCare of Florida, Inc. Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS06452 Address: 403 East 11th Street Panama City, FL 32401-3409 Contact Phone Number (Voice): 850-747-5599 Website Address: www.pancarefl.org Program Funds Requested in the Application: This application requests a total of $1,100,000 in BHSE Funding, with $600,000 for Year 1 and $500,000 for Year 2. PanCare of Florida (PanCare), a non-profit community health center, has been providing accessible, affordable, high-quality, patient-focused primary health care to residents of Bay, Walton, Liberty, Calhoun, Washington, Holmes, Franklin, Jackson, and Gulf counties in the Florida panhandle on the northern gulf coast since 2005. In 2023, PanCare served 50,609 total patients via 132,743 total encounters (7,724 virtual) from 29 service-delivery locations (including 11 mobile units and 2 school-based sites) including 2,359 patients with mental health (MH) services, 293 patients with substance use disorder (SUD) services, and 19 patients with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (2023 UDS). NEED: PanCare prioritizes services to low-income residents in the service area. Residents in these high-need communities face multiple barriers to health care, including lack of convenient access points for care, lack of family or social supports to access care, and lack of understanding regarding the benefits of preventive care, among others. Increased access to MH and SUD services in the region is of paramount importance. As a primary point of access in its service area for any health care need, PanCare is well-positioned to address barriers to care and provide access to a continuum of behavioral health (BH) services that includes treatment and recovery support. Residents of the PanCare service area are experiencing record levels of MH and SUD. Adults report an average of 5.5 poor mental health days per month, compared to 4.5 in FL and 4.5 nationally, while 17.2% report being in mental distress more than half the month, compared to 13.0% in FL and 15.0% in the US (County Health Rankings, RWJF, 2024). The suicide mortality rate is 19.4, much higher than the state (14.1) and national (13.8) rates (all mortality rates are per 100,000, age-adjusted) (WONDER, CDC, 2016-2020). Nearly a quarter (20.5% or 65,220) of adults report a mental illness, while 5.7% (18,083) have a serious mental illness (service area estimates based on state-level rates) (National Survey of Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA, 2021-2022). SERVICES: PanCare is requesting funding to support expanded BH services, increasing access to MH, SUD, and MOUD services for the target population. Current demand for these services exceeds capacity of providers. PanCare will increase services to: Bay District Schools, in reaching students with SUD needs; Doorways of Northwest Florida in reaching homeless individuals with BH and SUD needs in Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, and Washington counties; NWF Health in reaching more foster children and uninsured individuals in need of BH services in Walton County; and BASIC of NW Florida to better serve HIV and Hep-C patients in need of BH and SUD services. In support of these services, PanCare is proposing to hire 2.0 FTE LCSW, 3.0 FTE case managers, 2.0 FTE peer recovery specialists, and 1.0 FTE psych NP. POPULATION GROUP: PanCare’s proposed BHSE expansion will increase the number of patients provided with BH services by the end of the project period (2025), including a total of 2,800 MH services patients, 550 SUD services patients, and 70 patients receiving MOUD services. PanCare estimates an increase of 250 unduplicated new health center patients. This will support the BHSE program purpose of increasing the number of patients who access MH and SUD services, including patients receiving treatment with MOUD. This will include MSAW.
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).