FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - AxessPointe Community Health Centers is proposing to expand behavioral health services with funding from HRSA’s Fiscal Year 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion opportunity. This proposal will address a community-wide need for increased mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services to support under-resourced populations in Trumbull and Mahoning counties in Ohio at two of AxessPointe’s locations in this region. AxessPointe is a current Health Center Program recipient, with a grant number of 6 H80CS00117-23-02. According to the 2022 Trumbull and Mahoning County Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA), mental health was identified as a major area of concern, with approximately 1 in 6 adults reporting at least two weeks of poor mental health a month. Of those reporting poor mental health, 45.4% did not receive treatment, with those rates even higher in Warren (55.6%) and Youngstown (53.5%). The CHNA also indicated that only 15% of respondents received treatment for drug use with only 11.1% in Warren and 6.5% in Youngstown. According to 2022 UDS data, there are an estimated 89,453 low-income individuals in Trumbull and Mahoning counties that are not being reached by a health center. Health center penetration of the low-income population is 15% and is 6% for the total population of the proposed service area. With an average Unmet Needs Score (UNS) of 17 out of 20, AxessPointe can increase access to care in this region. Under the proposed grant program, AxessPointe will work to address these needs and meet two main objectives: 1) Increase the number of patients receiving mental health services and 2) Increase the number of patients receiving SUD services, including patients receiving treatment with MOUD. Funds will be used to expand MH and SUD/MOUD services through the addition of a psychiatric pharmacist, medical doctor, nurse practitioner, licensed independent social worker, chemical dependency counselor assistant, and community health worker, all of whom will focus on behavioral health services for patients with MH and SUD needs. The expanded team will serve 5,000 patients each year through this program, including 4,550 patients receiving MH services and 250 patients receiving SUD/MOUD services. Proposed services include comprehensive assessments, psychiatry, counseling, medication management and the provision of MOUDs, and dedicated case management. MH and SUD services will be expanded and integrated into primary care, enhancing overall quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. As a result, we will see 1) improved patient outcomes including treatment adherence and symptom management; 2) early intervention and prevention of MH and SUD concerns; 3) increased access to care including reduced wait times and increased availability of providers; 4) enhanced collaboration and communication among providers; and 5) stigma reduction through the integration of behavioral health services within the primary care setting. The population of focus for this project is adults with MH and/or SUD. Subpopulations for the project include underserved populations who are on Medicaid and/or at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, rural populations, minority populations, and other groups who may experience higher rates of MH and SUD conditions. Individuals experiencing social risk factors such as unstable housing, food insecurity, limited access to transportation, language barriers, and those who are under or uninsured will also be addressed. Through expanded services provided by our experienced team of providers, AxessPointe Community Health Centers will expand MH and SUD services, improve patient outcomes, and provide comprehensive patient-centered care to those with MH and SUD conditions.
