FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Grace Health, 181 West Emmett Street, Battle Creek, MI 49037; Project Director: Dr. Peter Chang; Phone: (269) 966-200; E-mail: peter.chang@gracehealthmi.org; web site: www.gracehealthmi.org; Grant #: H80CS00586. FY2023 Behavioral Health Service Expansion; HRSA-24-078 Grace Health (GH), dually-designated FQHC: Community Health Center & Health Care for Homeless provider, began delivering primary health care to Calhoun County, Michigan residents in 1986. Additional services were added to meet community needs. Services include Family Practice, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Behavioral Health, Dental, Optometry/Vision Care, Podiatry, Physical Therapy, & Pharmacy. GH operates from its main site in Battle Creek & 12 additional sites located throughout the County, including public schools. GH's target populations are un(der)served, low/no income & un(der)insured persons. GH provides care for approximately 24% of the county’s population (66% uninsured or w/Medicaid coverage), averaging about 400 new patients monthly. In 2023, GH provided more than 109,500 visits to over 27,800 patients. GH employs almost 400 staff which includes providers & support staff. Provider staff consists of board-certified/licensed physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, psychologists, psychiatrist, social workers, professional counselors, substance abuse specialists, dietician, podiatrists, optometrist, opticians, physical therapists, pharmacists & pharmacy technicians. GH continues to see an increase in the number of patients needing mental health services and SUD (substance use disorder) services. Since GH’s Behavioral Health Team is near capacity and has very limited behavioral health providers with SUD expertise, Behavioral Health Service Expansion funding will be used for (1) 1.5 FTE’s with a focus on SUD services; (2) 2.0 FTE’s to serve in schools; (3) Renovating space to allow for increased capacity; (4) Hosting competitive paid internship to develop future workforce for behavioral health professionals to grow GH’s behavioral health team; (5) Establishing a coordinated community approach to mental health services through a strengthened partnership with our community mental health provider; and (6) Building a partnership with Juvenile Probation Program and Drug Court to provide group visits with a focus on anger management, as well as SUD and mental health services. Patient referral patterns will be established that allow for patients with mild to moderate severity to be treated by Grace Health and the most severe patients to be treated by the local community mental health provider. This coordinated approach to mental health services will apply to SUD including treatment with MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder) and mental health/behavioral health counseling. Referrals will go to and from GH, depending on the current condition of each patient. GH recently added a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner. This positions GH well to expand SUD services including treatment with MOUD. GH has 11 sites within school buildings throughout Calhoun County providing behavioral health services. At least two additional school sites will be added in 2024 to provide mental health/behavioral health services. GH’s goal is to provide mental health services, including SUD and treatment with MOUD, to an additional 500 unique patients and 2,500 encounters by end of the 1st year of the grant.
