Wednesday, April 30, 2025
4/30/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - PROJECT ABSTRACT Project Title: Advance Community Health – Fiscal Year 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion Applicant Organization: Advance Community Health Address: 1001 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610 Project Director: Scot N. McCray, Chief Executive Officer Phone: 919-250-2923 | Email: scmccray@advancechc.org Federal Request: Fiscal Year 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion (BHSE), $600,000 in year 1, and $500,000 in year 2 Funding Preference: MUA/MUP and HPSA - Medical, Dental, and Behavioral Health Grant #: H80CS00087 Advance Community Health, Inc. (ACH), previously Wake Health Services, is a private, nonprofit, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) funded through Section 330(e) as a Community Health Center and Section 330(h) as a Health Care for the Homeless Program. ACH serves Wake and Franklin counties in North Carolina. ACH operates an administrative site, seven permanent service delivery sites, and a mobile unit to maximize access for patients across the service area. Both service area counties have Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designations. Increased access to mental health services in the region is of paramount importance. Residents of the service area experience an average of 3.8 mentally unhealthy days per month, while 20.5% of adults report heavy drinking, higher than the state rate of 17.6% and the national average of 19.2%. The mental and behavioral disorder mortality rate is 43.9, significantly higher than the national rate of 34.6, and the suicide rate within the service area is 9.3. An estimated 49% of homeless individuals have depression, while 58% have a substance use disorder. Effects of the opioid epidemic have nearly doubled in the past five years, with the mortality rate due to drug-induced causes at 13.9 in 2020, compared to 7.5 in 2015 (Wonder, CDC, 2016- 2020). The social stigma attached to mental illness and the discrimination experienced as a result can have a major impact on the ability to recover. Ninety percent of people with mental illness problems say that stigma and discrimination have negatively impacted their lives. Stigma and discrimination can worsen mental health problems, causing delays in seeking care. Social isolation, homelessness, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental illness, and the reluctance to seek or receive care due to stigma and discrimination can exacerbate these issues (Mental Health Foundation, 2021). ACH provides direct mental health and substance abuse services, including care targeted for the needs of homeless clients. ACH proposes activities to achieve the BHSE objectives. With the proposed MH/SUD Care Team in place, ACH commits to these measures being attainable by December 31, 2025. Based on historical MH/SUD insights, a realistic approach was utilized to formulate achievable following calendar year 2025 estimates. ACH estimates that with the BHSE proposed care team (6.5 service providers and 2.0 patient support): 1.0 FTE Licensed Clinical Social Worker, 1.0 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 1.0 Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, 0.5 FTE Psychologist, 1.0 FTE Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – MH/SUD, 1.0 FTE Intake Specialist – Licensed Clinial Social Worker Associate – MH/SUD (non-clinical), 1.0 FTE Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, 1.0 FTE Peer Support Specialist, 1.0 FTE Behavioral Health Coordinator (non-clinical), ACH will be able to serve 406 additional patients/users (203 mental health and 203 substance use disorder patients/users annually), resulting in 4,875 MH/SUD encounters annually. Serving 41 MOUND patients/users annually. As a result of the BHSE funding, 81 new annual patients/users will be new to the health center.
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).