Tuesday, May 6, 2025
5/6/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Project Title: FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion (BHSE) Applicant Organization Name: Valley Health Systems, Inc. Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS00614 Address: 2585 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703-1642 Contact Phone Number (Voice): 304-525-3334 Website Address: www.valleyhealth.org Program Funds Requested in the Application: This application requests a total of $1,100,000 in BHSE Funding, with $600,000 in Yr 1 and $500,000 in Yr 2. Valley Health Systems, Inc. (VHS), a non-profit community health center, has been providing accessible, high-quality, patient-focused primary health care to residents of Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, and Wayne counties, WV, Lawrence County in OH, and Boyd and Lawrence counties, KY since 1975. In 2023, VHS served 106,396 total patients via 430,344 total encounters (including 7,665 virtual visits) from 42 service delivery sites, including 6,609 patients with mental health (MH) services, 1,452 patients with substance use disorder (SUD) services, and 0 patients with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (UDS). NEED: VHS prioritizes services to low-income residents in the service area. Residents face multiple barriers to health care, including lack of access. Increased access to MH and SUD services in the region is of paramount importance. As a primary point of access in its service area for any health care need, VHS is well-positioned to address barriers to care and provide access to a continuum of behavioral health (BH) services that includes treatment and recovery support. The drug-overdose mortality rate in the VHS service area is among the highest in the US. At 87.2 in 2020 (the most recent year for which mortality rates are available from the CDC), service area residents were dying at a rate nearly four times the national average of 23.6, and the rate had more than doubled in five years (from 43.6) (WONDER, CDC, 2016-2020; 2011-2015). In some service area counties the rate is much higher: 191 in Logan County, 176 in Cabell County, 124 in Kanawha County, 117 in Mason County, and 94 in Mingo County (Fatal Overdoses in WV, Data Dashboard, WVDHHR, 2021). The highest number of drug overdose deaths ever recorded occurred in the service area in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. There were 656 drug overdose deaths in the service area, including 543 deaths from opioids. The same year there were 2,509 drug-related emergency department visits in the 12-county region (Fatal Overdoses in WV, Data Dashboard, WVDHHR, 2021). SERVICES: VHS is proposes to initiate medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services and expansion of mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services for the target population. VHS will expand psychiatry, MOUD and recovery services, all currently in HRSA-approved scope, to increase the number of patients served, and to expand the number of locations with a full complement of BH services. In support of these services, VHS will hire a total of 5.25 FTE’s over the two-year project period: 0.20 FTE Psychiatrist, 1.75 FTE Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, 1.0 FTE School-based Therapist, 0.8 FTE Resource Navigator, 0.16 FTE SUD Nurse Practitioner, 0.2 FTE Licensed Clinical Psychologist, 0.16 FTE SUD Physician, 0.23 FTE BH Program Manager, 0.05 FTE LPN, and 0.7 FTE Patient Advocate; and associated expenses to support care delivery. VHS will enhance outreach activities to ensure patients and community organizations are aware of BHSE services and increased capacity. POPULATION GROUP: VHS anticipates the BHSE project will increase the number of patients provided with BH services in CY2025, including an additional 991 MH services patients, 319 SUD services patients, and 375 patients receiving MOUD services. Among these, VHS anticipates serving 200 new health center patients by CY 2025. These increases support the BHSE purpose of increasing the number of patients who access MH, SUD and MOUD services.
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).