Friday, December 27, 2024
12/27/2024
Unicare Community Health Center (UCHC) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that operates 17 clinics and one mobile clinic throughout San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties in southern California. UCHC was incorporated in 2014 and received its first Community Health Center Funding in September 2015. The service area also includes fifteen (15) mental health HPSAs with a provider ratio above 1:20,000. UCHC has been designated a Facility HPSA score of 20. As reported by the California Health Care Foundation, prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, one in seven adults in California experienced a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder and one in 26 experienced a serious mental illness (SMI). One in 14 children were reported as having experienced a serious emotional disturbance (SED). In Los Angeles county, 3.8% of adults experience SMI and 7.4% of the children experience SED. These numbers are higher in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, reported as 7.5% SED in children and 4.2% SMI amongst adults. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research community survey reports that 45.7% of adults that needed help with mental health, alcohol or substance abuse did not receive the care they needed in 2022. Similarly, 49.2% of adults in San Bernardino county and 46.9% in Riverside county did not receive the care they needed. Using the Service Area Status Zip Code Workbook, 34 out of 50 zip codes are in percentiles above 70 for poor mental health and are high need zip codes. The World Health Organization released a report in March 2022 that estimated a 25% increase of global anxiety and depression caused by isolation, social and economic burdens, and fear of virus transmission. The Kaiser Family Foundation shows an increase in suicide ideation amongst high school students, an increase of suicide deaths amongst communities of color and an increase in alcohol and drug overdose deaths during the pandemic. There is an estimated population of 2,445,505 people in the service area and 43% are estimated to be low income. Approximately 68% of the population is Hispanic with a smaller population of Asian and Black communities. Reportedly 48% of the population in the Los Angeles area are foreign born immigrants from many countries. UCHC has demonstrated the ability to serve the populations with care, compassion and consideration for their unique culture, language, and health literacy. UCHC is continuously increasing the number of patients served with a reported 37,450 patients in 2023. UCHC desires to be a leader in innovative strategies in increasing access to high quality, efficient, customer-focused behavioral health services. The program will include access to both behavioral health and substance abuse services with an anticipated significant increase in the number of patients served. California has struggled with workforce shortage and behavioral health system complexities. These challenges continue despite the ongoing initiatives and investments to improve access. UCHC anticipates developing a program that will address behavioral health services the behavioral health integration, taking into consideration the needs of the population including age, social and cultural impacts. The organization will continue to develop the needed infrastructure to support a comprehensive behavioral health program.
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).