Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Zufall requests funding through the HRSA Behavioral Health Service Expansion (BHSE) Fiscal Year 2024 opportunity to expand our behavioral health services (BHS) Program. Zufall, a Federally Qualified Health Center serving residents across seven northern and central New Jersey counties, provided primary medical, behavioral health, dental, and support services to 48,240 patients in 2023. Of these patients, 86% lived below 200% of the federal poverty level; 50% did not have health insurance; 76% identified as Hispanic; and 71% were best served in a language other than English. Zufall proposes targeting identified limitations in our BHS Program to optimize accessibility to and quality of integrated BHS. Although Zufall delivered mental health services to 2,602 unique patients in 2023, substantial needs remain. Mental health service gaps have been identified across Zufall’s service area, including fewer mental health providers compared to the state as a whole; more frequent mental distress compared to the state; and disproportionately high rates of mental health concerns among vulnerable populations. A significant limitation is a lack of designated personnel to deliver substance use disorder (SUD) services. With BHSE funding, Zufall will hire a new provider to offer SUD services. In the past few years, Zufall has made strides to enhance access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) by offering medication-assisted treatment in the context of primary care visits, behavioral health support, and case management. Zufall has gained a reputation as one of the only providers in our service area that prescribes MOUD within an integrated service setting and the only MOUD provider that accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay. With additional resources, Zufall will have the capacity to expand reach of MOUD services in our communities using this model. BHSE activities will target the focus areas Access and Affordability; Quality, Patient Care, Safety, and Integrated Services; and Patient Experience. Increasing staff capacity is integral to addressing service gaps, including clinical staff to directly provide treatment and support staff (including Behavioral Health Case Managers) to provide recovery support by addressing social risk factors which often present barriers to treatment. Access to in-house support services Zufall offers (e.g., 340B Program for discounted medication; transportation services; health insurance navigation/enrollment) and resources of local community-based organizations is limited without support staff who facilitate individualized referrals and follow-up communications. The current climate of mental health and SUD services calls for greater access to an integrated, stigma-reducing approach in the context of primary care wherein patients are at the forefront of care delivery. Zufall will hire consultants to increase SUD and MOUD knowledge and provide legal expertise. Responding to the fragmented systems of care that present as a barrier to BHS, a new Program Manager and a new Telehealth Coordinator will support efficient delivery of services, coordinate and track BHSE activity progress, and manage administrative tasks. Telehealth capacity is integral to the delivery of Zufall’s BHS, as two-thirds of our mental health services are conducted virtually. Zufall’s proposal includes software to improve accuracy and precision of clinical measures, which will serve as a quality assurance/quality improvement initiative for the BHSE Program. Zufall’s foundational BHS Program applies an integrated primary care-BH service model delivered by a team of experienced, devoted BH professionals, representing an opportune platform from which to expand to meet the need for BHS. With BHSE funding, Zufall will be well-positioned and eager to increase the number of patients we serve who receive mental health services and SUD services, including MOUD.
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).