Thursday, April 24, 2025
4/24/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Primary Care Medical Services of Poinciana, Inc. (D.B.A. Osceola Community Health Services) H80CS30749 Osceola Community Health Services (OCHS), located in Osceola County, Central Florida, has provided healthcare services since 2004. With a network of ten health centers, OCHS ensures low-barrier access to the underserved, who face significant health and social disparities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), OCHS provides quality medical services driven by a focus on clinical outcomes and improving the patient experience. As important components of overall health, dental services and behavioral health are available. There is a clear need for increasing access to behavioral health services. The State of Mental Health in America, Access to Care Data, 2022, reports Florida ranks 49 among U.S. states for access to mental health care. It ranks 49th for the percentage of adults with any mental illness (AMI) who did not receive treatment (63.5%). The percentage of residents who have ever been told that they have a depressive disorder increased in Osceola County from 15.4% in 2013 to 16.6% in 2016. This was higher than the 2016 state rate of 14.2%. Substance abuse is a growing problem in Osceola County. The Florida Department of Health, Bureaus of Community Health Assessment, and Vital Statistics reported 886 non-fatal overdose emergency department visits in Osceola County in 2022 and 527 overdose hospitalizations for the same period. There were 138 fatal overdoses. The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, Community Health Improvement Plan, 2020-2025, reports the rate of fentanyl-related deaths in Osceola County increased from 1.3 per 100,000 population in 2013 to 11.1 per 100,000 population in 2017. Project Opioid reported fentanyl-caused deaths in Central Florida have increased 172% overall in Central Florida from 2015 to 2021. Only 14 Adult Substance Abuse Beds are available, and 830 adults were enrolled in a substance abuse program in 2022. OCHS proposes increasing the number of patients receiving mental health services by improving access to providers. OCHS will develop a collaborative care model that creates multidisciplinary teams to include primary care providers, behavioral health specialists, support staff, and the increased use of telehealth. OCHS will also further develop its whole-person approach by developing new community partnerships to address the social drivers of health, including closed-loop referrals and case management for complex patients. OCHS will increase the number of patients receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services by hiring substance use specialists. These services will include treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), administered through a new program that expands the collaborative care model integrating behavioral health and 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).