FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Need: UCFS’ service area covers most of New London and southern Windham Counties with the highest concentration of clients in the urban centers of Norwich and New London. It is characterized by a high rate of health disparities, specifically depression, substance disuse disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, infant mortality, asthma, and obesity. There are significant pockets of poverty and linguistic isolation which are major barriers to accessing care. Norwich is designated as a Low-Income Primary Care and Dental HPSA, a Medically Underserved Population, and the entire region is a Mental Health Shortage Area. Recent reports have indicated that UCFS’ service area continues to see the highest rate of accidental drug related deaths in the State of CT (58/100,000 in New London County) as well as high rates of suicide (12.05/100,000 in Windham County and 10.81/100,000 in New London County). The COVID-19 pandemic and workforce shortages in specialty behavioral health (BH) have crippled access to life saving care. UCFS has over 400 patients on BH specialty wait list who will be served by the integrated care model that UCFS is proposing. Response: For over 30 years, UCFS has been a significant provider of both clinic- and community-based behavioral health and recovery services. It is ready to embark on a new level of access to screening, assessment, intervention, and treatment for those with mental health and substance use disorders by embracing the integration of behavioral and mental health with primary care. Despite our best efforts in workforce enhancement, there will never be enough “specialty” behavioral health and recovery services. Acknowledging this, UCFS proposes to expand integration of primary, behavioral health, and substance use disorder care, including medication assisted treatment, within primary care visits. By adding integrated care clinicians, recovery coaches, and collaboration, UCFS will address the physical, mental, and addiction health of the entire person. Working in tandem with the medical providers and offering screenings and interventions within the primary care setting, UCFS will enhance access to services so that more patients will be helped. The need for access to behavioral health and substance use services has never been greater. Collaboration: UCFS has a long history of strong community partnerships at the state and local level and will continue to coordinate with those partners to eliminate duplication of services and strengthen the local healthcare system. Evaluative Measures: UCFS will rely on our internal capacity to use data to inform decision making. Over the past 5 years, UCFS has adopted a population health framework to ensure adherence to clinical guidelines, standards of care, patient safety, patient satisfaction, health equity, and health outcomes. We utilize a robust electronic health record, shared by CT’s largest health systems to coordinate care for our patients. Resources: UCFS has a strong, stable, and experienced leadership team including the CEO/PD (12 years), CMO (22 years), and COO (17 years). UCFS has built a skilled team of professionals committed to integrated care and increasing access to mental health and recovery services. Our Integrated Care Supervisor has spent 10 years working as a licensed clinical social worker, with the last 5 spent refining our model of primary care behavioral health. Governance: UCFS is governed by a 16-person, well-informed, consumer driven board to ensure that UCFS is viable for the future to actualize patient-centered care. Our board is versed in HRSA’s community health center program requirements and understands their responsibilities and authorities. Support Requested: UCFS is ready to build on our success in integrated care within the primary care setting to respond to the overwhelming need to expand mental health and recovery treatment in our service area through this funding opportunity. UCFS requests $1.1 million for 2 years.
