Sunday, May 4, 2025
5/4/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Project Director Name: Donna Gibson, RN Contact Phone Number: 1-865-544-0406 Contact Email Address: donna.gibson@cherokeehealth.com Website: https://www.cherokeehealth.com Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS00309 Address: 2018 Western Ave City & State: Knoxville, TN 37921-5718 The mission of Cherokee Health Systems (CHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of East Tennessee residents by providing high-quality, integrated, comprehensive, equitable, and person-centered care for all. CHS has 19 brick and mortar clinics, a mobile clinic, and 18 school-based sites. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), CHS offers family practice, OB-GYN, pediatrics, dental, vision, pharmaceutical services, optometry, cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry and a variety of behavioral health services to all patients regardless of the ability to pay. In 2023, CHS served 65,960 unduplicated patients. CHS does not offer MAT OUD with primary care at many of CHS’s rural sites. There is a huge need to expand MAT with primary care in rural counties in Tennessee. We will be adding services at four primary care services delivery sites. Currently patients must travel all the way to Knoxville, TN for services. CHS offers comprehensive behavioral health services designed to support individuals and their families at every stage of life. CHS understands that different age groups have unique needs and ensures that services are tailored to specific developmental stages through patient-centered treatment planning. Behavioral health services are offered at all clinical locations as noted in Form 5B. Specialized behavioral health services across the lifespan include: - Ages 0-5: Early Childhood Support – behavioral and developmental milestone assessments, parenting support, play therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) - Ages 6-12: Children – individual and family therapy, play therapy, psychiatric services, crisis intervention - Ages 13-18: Adolescent – Individual and family therapy, substance use counseling, crisis intervention, sexual health counseling, psychiatric services - Ages 18 and above – Individual, couples, and group therapy, psychiatric services, sexual health counseling, Medication Assisted Treatment, substance use counseling CHS will leverage HRSA BHSE funds to increase access to behavioral health services by expanding mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services in rural, under-resourced areas. Project activities include: - Leveraging community partnerships in rural communities with organizations with a direct connection to underserved and underrepresented rural populations - Further integrating primary care and behavioral health at each patient encounter, conducting assessments and connecting patients with supportive services and schedule follow-up appointments - Expanding CHS’ ability to address the social drivers of health through community collaborations (housing insecurity, food insecurity, financial strain) in rural areas that have limited resources. This will be achieved by adding support staff, such as peer support, community health workers, and nurse care manager to ensure patients relate to appropriate services, both internally and externally, to promote improved health outcomes. - Utilize training, education, and addition of staff to expand the role of primary care providers in the use of FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorder. - Onboarding additional behavioral health staff to expand access and meet the growing demand for services in rural areas. - Broaden the use of telehealth across CHS sites to enhance access to behavioral health and substance abuse services at identified locations in rural under-resourced counties. Program goals to be achieved via the project activities listed above include: Increase the number of patients, in rural areas, receiving mental health services and SUD services, including treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
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).