Sunday, April 20, 2025
4/20/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Health Center Program grant number H80CS28959. Recovery Consultants of Atlanta, Inc. (RCA) is a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization serving the greater Atlanta portion of DeKalb and Fulton counties, Georgia. The two counties are home to 1,831,092 individuals; 40.05% are White; 49.8% are Black/African American; 0.4% are American Indian and Alaska Native; 5.2% are Asian; 2.3% are Hispanic or Latino; and 9.05% are two or more races. The proposed service area includes 30 zip codes across Dekalb and Fulton counties, Georgia, with two site locations in the cities of Tucker and Decatur. RCA, one of the first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in Georgia and the only CCBHC in the southeast that also operates a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), proposes a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) project to increase the number of patients receiving mental health services and substance use disorder (SUD) services, including patients receiving treatment with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). This project will expand new services to the existing service area and include: 1) addition of an in-house opioid treatment program to complement existing SUD treatment services; and 2) addition of behavioral and mental health services for youth, ages 4-18 alongside expansion of clinic weekend and afternoon hours. RCA’s clinics are in Mental Health Care Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) with a score of 17, indicating high priority. DeKalb County has a ratio of 260:1 for mental health providers. RCA’s 2023 Needs Assessment showed over 361,000 low-income residents in the service area, with almost 63,000 receiving Health Center Program services in 2022, leaving over 298,000 unserved. Most RCA patients are uninsured or Medicaid recipients. Access to comprehensive care requires both financial resources and provider availability. RCA provides extensive mental health services for adults but not youth and currently refers patients to external opioid programs. In-house Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) would better serve patients. RCA plans to serve an additional 250 individuals. To achieve this, RCA will have four dedicated staff members to address provider shortages and expand services while also leveraging in-kind staff: - Physician: Oversee the new MAT program. - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Support mental/behavioral health services for youth and extend clinic hours. - Case Manager: Support mental/behavioral health services for youth and extend clinic hours. - Certified Peer Specialist - Mental Health (Youth-Focused): Support mental/behavioral health services for youth. The Program Director will oversee operations and develop an outreach and marketing plan to increase referrals and service utilization. Outreach will include RCA’s mobile unit at shelters, community partners, and schools, enhanced telehealth services, and transportation offerings. To improve patient outcomes, RCA will integrate all services, including behavioral and primary care, into the Phreesia Patient Engagement system. This will provide a comprehensive set of UDS measures, enabling RCA to evaluate data on the whole person, not just primary care.
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).