FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Health Center Program grant number: H80CS22679 Founded in 2010, the Elaine Ellis Center of Health (EECH) is a nonprofit organization providing medical, dental, behavioral and mental health, and substance abuse services to residents in parts of the District of Columbia (DC)and Prince George’s County, MD (PGC). The service area is marked by pockets of wealth and poverty that fall along racial lines and correlate with unequal health outcomes. EEHC is dedicated to providing affordable, comprehensive, preventive, and primary healthcare services to individuals residing in public housing and the surrounding areas, regardless of their ability to pay. Mental Health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) present serious challenges within the service area. In DC and PGC, poor mental health days and reports of frequent mental distress are higher than state averages. In fact, the Mental Health Index (a measure of socioeconomic and health factors correlated with self-reported poor mental health) for EECH’s DC site is among the highest in DC, indicating a high need of 99.7 on a 100-point scale. In addition, youth in MD show a higher rate of severe major depressive episodes than the US rate. One-third of high school students report feelings of sadness or hopelessness that interfere with their daily activities, and one in five high school students has seriously contemplated suicide. Between 2015-2017 and 2018-2020, the suicide rates among white residents in PGC increased by an astounding 36.7% The service area has also been significantly affected by the misuse and abuse of drugs. Compared to the nation, DC has a higher rate of drug-induced causes of death, with opioid use disproportionately affecting the Black community. Opioid-related overdoses and deaths have been on the rise, particularly in Wards 7 and 8 of the EECH service area, a trend also alarmingly evident in the youth population residing in the service area. The rate of middle school students using prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription has increased by 48%, the consumption of marijuana and alcohol is higher than the state average, and the number of high school students using prescription drugs is 28% higher than the state rate. Access to care also poses a significant challenge. Over half of adults with mental illness in MD and DC did not receive treatment in 2023. Prince George's County is identified as High Needs Geographic HPSA in mental health, while the District of Columbia is designated as a Medicaid Eligible Population HPSA in mental health. The lack of comprehensive public transportation infrastructure in some areas, lack of personal transportation, and income disparities make access to services difficult. To address the needs of the service area, EECH intends to hire two licensed Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs), an Outreach Coordinator, and a Peer Recovery Specialist/Community Health Worker (CHW). The PNPs will conduct intakes, provide assessments and diagnosis, and initiate treatment for mental health and SUD, including MOUD. EECH intends to create a special program for severe depression to provide extra support to patients with medication resistant major depressive disorder. The Outreach Coordinator will increase community awareness of the Center’s services and will specifically work with schools within PGC via the Center’s mobile unit. The Peer Recovery Specialist/CHW will be hired from the area and will be someone with lived experience to work with both MH and SUD patients. This position will help patients navigate their social determinants of health and provide support for mental health and SUD recovery. Elaine Ellis Center for Health is committed to producing quality healthcare outcomes and has maintained this commitment since its inception. EECH estimates an increase of 760 patients in 2025, including 750 MH patients and 250 SUD patients. This would include 50 patients for MOUD. These projections are based on historical data and 2023 UDS number
