Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3/12/2025
Project Abstract Organizational Name: 1st Choice Healthcare, Inc. Address: 1300 Creason Road Corning Arkansas 72422-1716 website address: 1stchoice-ar.org Grant program funds requested in the application: $600,000 Descriptive Title Project: Behavioral Health/SUD Expansion Project Abstract: 1st Choice Healthcare, Inc. is a well-established safety-net provider that has served as an affordable, quality, and comprehensive healthcare service provider in northeast Arkansas since 1994. 1st Choice Healthcare is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and is recognized as a patient-centered medical home. The health center currently has six clinic sites in Clay, Randolph, Lawrence, Greene, Sharp, and Fulton counties. 1st Choice strives to meet the needs of the people in our communities. These communities face significant barriers to accessing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services due to provider shortages, economic instability, and travel distances to treatment facilities. Recognizing that access to mental health and substance abuse treatment is crucial for overall well-being, this project aims to bridge the gap, leading to improved health outcomes and quality of life. The primary objectives of this project are to increase access to mental health services, integrate treatment for SUDs, including Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in our primary care clinics, develop partnerships with community organizations for outreach and support services such as peer recovery, conduct public awareness campaigns to destigmatize mental health and substance use disorders, and improve the screening process for mental health and SUDs in our clinics for early detection, referral, and treatment. To achieve these objectives, we will recruit and employ a psychiatric APRN to provide medication management services, which is a great need in our service area. We will also expand our telehealth infrastructure across all clinic sites. In addition, we will train existing behavioral health staff and key medical staff on substance abuse disorders and the use of MOUD for treatment. Further, we will strengthen our collaboration with the local community mental health center to ensure timely and high-quality care for SUD patients who may need more intense services. We will build more formal collaborations with community agencies offering peer support and training for substance use disorders. 1st Choice will also focus on public awareness efforts aimed at destigmatizing mental health and substance use disorders while emphasizing the services we offer. Finally, we will work to improve the screening processes in our clinics for early detection and referral to treatment. We anticipate that these efforts will increase patient access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment in our region, as well as improve patient outcomes. This project is crucial for significantly increasing access to mental health and SUD services in rural communities, meeting a critical need, and improving the well-being of the underserved population in northeast Arkansas.
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).