Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3/12/2025
The Children’s Clinic, “Serving Children and Their Families” dba TCC Family Health (TCC) seeks to increase access to Behavioral Health (BH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services, including Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) at our 13 clinic sites and mobile van, serving those experiencing homelessness. Since 1939, TCC has addressed health disparities and inequities by providing critical health and wellness care to vulnerable children and adults in greater Long Beach, CA, serving over 34,000 patients in 2023. TCC’s Health Center program grant number is H80CS00264. TCC, the first health center in LA County to obtain Trauma- Informed Care certification, faces a critical need to expand BH and SUD services to meet the escalating demands in our community. The 2020 pandemic intensified anxiety, depression (including teen and perinatal depression), social isolation, trauma, stress, substance use (opioids, alcohol, nicotine and methamphetamines), eating disorders, PTSD, suicidality, self-harm and homelessness. In 2023, TCC provided BH care to only 2,238 patients, a mere 6% of our total patient population, with only 47 patients for MOUD and none for SUD, leaving a substantial gap in care. Long Beach’s mental health systems face significant barriers such as long wait times, staff shortages, service closures and stigmas to accessing care, especially among the Latino community. Through this HRSA funding, TCC will expand and integrate stigma-free access to BH/SUD services into our primary care sites, including MOUD. Our strategy expands BH and SUD staff, including licensed behavioral health providers, bachelor level social workers, SUD counselors, enabling staff, and care coordinators creating integrated access to care at multiple levels. BH and SUD staff will collaborate with TCC primary care providers, clinical and Health Education staff in an effort to outreach and engage new patients, screen for issues, provide counseling, treatm ent, groups (teen and perinatal), and link patients to community resources. Key components of this program will include: 1. Staff Training • Educate all TCC staff about the BH/SUD challenges facing our patients and the community, with more in-depth training for those staff working most closely with patients 2. Address Social Risk Factors • Provide enabling services to those identified with social risk factors, linking them to resources for food insecurity, housing, insurance, linguistic barriers, transportation, financial and other needs 3. Integrated Screening and Linkage to Services • Utilize screenings such as the PHQ9 for Depression, GAD7 for Anxiety, ACE’s for Trauma and the WHO ASSIST & AUDIT for SUD • Treat patients identified through screenings, linking to TCC’s integrated, stigma-free BH, SUD services, and MOUD through our trauma-informed and healing approach • Link patients to groups (perinatal, teens, etc.) 4. Expansion of Staff • Increase BH and SUD staff • Establish comprehensive integrated care pathways within TCC Goals by December 2025 • Increase the number of BH patients by 44% • Increase the number of SUD patients by 125% • Increase the number of patients receiving MOUD by 63% Almost all of TCC patients are at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level. Our diverse patient demographics include the Latino, Black, Cambodian and Native American communities. Expanding BH/SUD services is crucial to addressing the growing needs of our diverse constituency particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, uninsured individuals, those experiencing homelessness and other underserved groups. The impact of stigma and discrimination on patients seeking and accessing BH care highlights the necessity of expanding access to BH/SUD services. TCC is committed to closing the gap in BH and SUD care, ensuring all individuals have access to the comprehensive, integrated services they need to thrive and ultimately improve health outcomes and quality of life f or our entire community.
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).