Sunday, April 20, 2025
4/20/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Umpqua Community Health Center, Inc., dba Aviva Health (H80CS00567), is a Federally Qualified Health Center aiming to expand access to mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services in Douglas County, Oregon. With the BHSE grant funding, we intend to address the urgent need for increased mental health and SUD services, including treatment options for opioid use disorder, through the strategic hiring of additional behavioral health specialists and primary care behavioral health providers. Douglas County faces profound challenges in mental health and SUD services accessibility. Statistics reveal a concerning landscape: adults in Douglas County report poor mental health days (4.8 out of 30 days), exceeding both state (OR) and national (USA) averages. Additionally, the county has a higher percentage of individuals experiencing frequented mental distress and engaging in excessive drinking compared to state and national averages. The county's drug overdose deaths, standing at 17 per 100,000 people, underline the pressing need for comprehensive intervention strategies. Furthermore, the disparity in mental health provider ratios (1 provider per 280 individuals) starkly highlights the scarcity of crucial support services. Our project aims to directly confront these challenges by increasing the availability of mental health services and expanding SUD services, including the provision of medications for opioid use disorder. Specifically, we propose to: 1. Hire additional outpatient behavioral health providers and primary care behavioral health (PCBH) providers. 2. Integrate these specialists into our existing healthcare framework to create a more robust, responsive service capable of meeting the heightened demand. 3. Enhance our capability to offer person-centered, holistic treatment plans that address a spectrum of needs – from initial diagnosis to ongoing management and recovery support. Aviva Health intends to hire four outpatient behavioral health providers to increase access to important mental health interventions. Three PCBH providers will also be onboarded and integrated into the organization’s existing clinical framework where they will focus on increasing service capacity and enhancing Aviva Health’s comprehensive approach to person-centered care. Embedding behavioral health providers in a primary care setting facilitates immediate access to mental health services during routine medical visits, thereby reducing stigmatic and logistical barriers. This team-based approach includes primary care providers, behavioral health providers and care managers, ensuring timely identification and coordinated treatment of mental health issues. Additional PCBH providers will drive greater integration of SUD services in the primary care setting, offering seamless access to treatment when and where it’s needed. PCBH providers will work closely with family medicine clinicians and offer specialized training in SUD identification and treatment. The investment in behavioral health provider staffing will increase the number of patients receiving mental health services by 20% within two years and expand access to SUD services, including MOUD, by 20% within the same period. The total request for BHSE grant funding is $1,100,000, distributed over two years to support personnel expenses for seven new hires, including four behavioral health providers and three PCBH providers. Fringe benefits for these positions are comprehensively calculated to ensure competitive offerings for recruiting highly qualified professionals. Direct charges encompass salaries, benefits, and other associated costs, ensuring our expanded team has the resources required for successful integration and service delivery.
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).