Tuesday, June 10, 2025
6/10/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Innis Community Health Center (ICHC) will be leveraging existing partnerships and infrastructures to expand access to behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) services. A single point of entry (SPOE) will be established utilizing a BH Care Coordinator and resources database. Funds will be utilized to support infrastructure for staff including BH Director (LPC/LCSW), Family Counselor (LMFT), Licensed Counselor (LPC/LCSW) (substance use disorder), psychiatric nurse practitioner (BH/SUD/Maternal Mental Health), and to improve harm reduction screenings. ICHC is requesting federal funds totaling $1,100,000 for a two-year project period, $600,000 for year one, and $500,000 for year two. The National Institute of Mental Health has highlighted a concerning correlation between chronic diseases and the onset of depression. The risk of developing depression escalates significantly for individuals suffering from chronic diseases, due to a variety of factors. These include: • The stress, anxiety, and other complications arising from managing a chronic disease. • Alterations in brain function due to chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s or stroke. • The side effects of medications used to treat chronic diseases. • A personal or familial history of depression or suicide. Research indicates that individuals with both a chronic disease and depression often experience more severe symptoms of both conditions. Substance use disorder is another growing problem in Louisiana, especially the non-urban areas. In Louisiana, the number of fentanyl-related deaths has seen a dramatic rise, from fewer than 200 statewide in 2017 to nearly 1,000 in 2022, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The parishes of West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee have experienced a significant surge in overall drug deaths in 2021. From 2020 through 2023, West Baton Rouge reported 45 overdose deaths, with 27 involving fentanyl. During the same period, Iberville Parish recorded 45 overdoses, 31 of which were fentanyl related. In Pointe Coupee, 23 out of 28 overdose deaths since 2020 involved fentanyl. In addition, substance use disorders (SUDs) significantly contribute to compromised perinatal mental health and should be a key focus of these screenings. substance use disorders (SUDs) are a significant national issue, contributing to approximately 37% of pregnancy-associated deaths. It is strongly recommended to universally screen for mental health issues and SUDs to identify pregnant individuals requiring treatment. In 2019, 2,031 infants in Louisiana were classified as "substance exposed newborns," accounting for 3.5% of all live births. Arbor Family Health is the only active provider of medication assisted treatment (MAT) in Pointe Coupee Parish. Most of the substance use disorder treatment, recovery and support services outside of Arbor Family Health are in Baton Rouge, a 45–60-minute drive from the service area. All the service area is designated as Medically Underserved Areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas. Pointe Coupee has a mental health, federally qualified health center (FQHC) HPSA score need of 23 and a high need geographic HPSA score of 14. West Baton Rouge parish has an FQHC HPSA score need of 23. Iberville Parish has an FQHC HPSA score of 23 and a geographic HPSA score of 16. Approximately10,000 people in the service are without access to mental health and SUD services. The project will serve an estimated 350 new patients, which is a significant 30% increase in our total patient count. This surge is expected to be managed by four new providers, who will dedicate a part of their time to therapy sessions. Currently, AFH does not cater to any substance use disorder (SUD) service patients. However, with our new providers focusing on SUD, we project an intake of 110 patients in this category. Furthermore, we estimate a 69% increase in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment patients.
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).