Wednesday, June 4, 2025
6/4/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Maine Mobile Health Program (MMHP) supported by 330G grant number H80CS00443 has the mission to improve the health status of seasonal workers and their families by providing culturally appropriate care and services. Since 1991, MMHP has championed the health care needs of migratory and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAWs) and their families. The organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit provides quality primary, preventive, behavioral health, and enabling services to agricultural workers across the state of Maine through an all-mobile model. Agricultural workers, a vulnerable and invisible population, are the engine of Maine’s agricultural industry. Agricultural workers health status is compromised by poverty, lack of insurance, unstable housing, working conditions, lack of transport, immigration status, and discrimination. Through funding from the BHSE opportunity HRSA-24-078, MMHP proposes to: • Increase the number of patients receiving mental health services (from 133 in 2023 to 200 in 2025) by bolstering a comprehensive approach with more provider capacity (telehealth and in-person) and increased outreach through use of a second behavioral health van. • Conduct a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) among the population in 2024 to identify the reasons that patients have not currently come forward for OUD services, including MOUD treatment. MMHP will use the results to train staff and launch a SUD/MOUD program service in the second half of Project Year 1 and Year 2. • Increase the number of patients receiving SUD services (to 25), including patients receiving treatment with MOUD (to 15 by project end) through partnerships, referrals, and staff training. Needs to be addressed: MMHP’s patients are almost entirely racial and ethnic minorities, almost three-quarters of whom communicate most effectively in a language other than English. MMHP provides all BH services in patient’s language in a mobile unit, worker camp, or via telehealth. These services are primarily Spanish, Haitian-Creole, and occasionally English. While the program has built BH services in patient language in multiple settings, no patients have come forward for SUD/MOUD services. In 2023, UDS showed 133 MH patients served - 294 clinic and 233 telehealth. For SUD and MOUD, there were zero visits and zero patients in 2023. The services proposed include three areas: 1. Increase the number of patients receiving mental health services (from 133 in 2023 to 200 in 2025) by building more staff, and telehealth capacity with increased outreach through a second behavioral health van. 2. Conduct a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) to identify the reasons that patients have not come forward for OUD/SOUD services. Use results to build Year 1 and Year 2 programming for OUD/MOUD. 3. Increase the number of patients receiving SUD services (to 25), including patients receiving treatment with MOUD (to 15 by project end) through partnerships, referrals, and staff training. The project will: • Conduct a community-based RNA during harvest season to understand the stigma, prevalence, and needs related to SUD and OUD. • Recruit and train 1.0 FTE LCSW and 1.5 FTE CHW to provide culturally responsive, patient-centered, and coordinated care. • Partner with the University of New England to offer field placement for MSW students. • Expand pool of contracted and telehealth BH providers. • Purchase a second behavioral health van. • Contract with a new IT provider and purchase Starlink equipment and computers to expand telehealth on mobile units in remote locations where broadband is scarce. • Develop referral protocols to support individuals with SUD/OUD/MOUD. • Collaborate with FQHCs to provide SUD/OUD services directly or by referral. • Partner with an OTP organization supporting individuals with SUD and OUD. • Providing training to staff at the National Latino Behavioral Health and the Haitian Mental Health conferences. • Provide SUD/OUD training for providers and CHWs. • Join Project ECHO-SUD/OUD.
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).