Project Director Name: Jerry White Contact
Phone Number: 479-635-0091
Contact Email Address: jerryw@rvpcs.org
Website: https://www.rvpcs.org/
Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS04288
Address: 9755 West State Hwy 22 City & State: Ratcliff, AR 72951
The Mission of River Valley Primary Care Services (RVPCS) is to provide quality comprehensive and preventative health care to all community residents without regard to their ability to pay. RVPCS is a non-profit Federally Funded Health Center organization with clinic locations in Ratcliff, Fort Smith, Mulberry, Mountainburg, Lamar, Waldron, Clarksville, Lavaca, Bonanza and Coal Hill, Arkansas. RVPCS is based on the commitment to provide quality comprehensive and preventative health care that is affordable to all people in Arkansas, including those with insurance, those without, and those that are underinsured. RVPCS helps people connect with services that can help them, including the Prescription Assistance Program and Sliding Fee Scale Program. RVPCS has created a Health Care Home with dignity and respect for the health and well-being of all individuals that we serve. River Valley Primary Care Services offers integrated behavioral health services. The Health Center’s primary care team and behavioral health providers work together to treat both the body and mind. The integrated behavioral health model gives patients the opportunity to work with mental health professionals in the comfort of the primary care setting. RVPCS presents patients and families with opportunities to address mental health and substance misuse conditions, health behaviors (including their contribution to chronic medical illnesses), life stressors, and stress-related physical symptoms. RVPCS offers comprehensive behavioral health assessment, ongoing medication management, counseling and supportive therapy. Behavioral health professionals along with primary care providers work together to determine how best to help you reach your goals. In 2023 alone, RVPCS served 30,348 patients, of which 13% were Hispanic, 3.6% were Asian, 17% had Limited English Proficiency, and 69% had incomes below 100% of Federal Poverty Level. RVPCS will leverage HRSA BHSE funds to increase access to behavioral health ser
vices through the expansion of mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services.
Project activities include:
- Leveraging community partnerships to better serve underserved populations (those who are uninsured, persons experiencing homelessness);
- Integrating primary care and behavioral health, conducting assessments and connecting clients with Peer Support Specialists to expand access to supportive services;
- Go beyond providing medical care by addressing social drivers of health through community collaborations (housing insecurity, food insecurity, financial strain);
- Expand the role of primary care providers in the use of FDA-approved medications for treatment of opioid use disorder through training and education;
- Hire additional behavioral health staff to expand access, meet the growing demand; - Broaden the use of mobile services across RVPCS sites.
Program goals to be achieved via the project activities listed above include:
- Increase the number of patients receiving mental health services; and
- Increase the number of patients receiving SUD services, including treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).