Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - APPLICATION ORGANIZATION INFORMATION: South Central Alabama Mental Health Board, Inc.; 820 South Three Notch Street, Suite B, Andalusia, AL 36420; Community Behavioral Health Center; www.scamhc.org DESIGNATED PROJECT DIRECTOR INFORMATION: Sandy Flowers, (334) 343-0744, sandy.flowers@scamhc.org NETWORK PLANNING PROGRAM: South Central Alabama Crisis Response Network (SCACRN) LEGISLATIVE AIM: Aim #2: Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services FOCUS AREA: South Central Alabama Mental Health Board, Inc.’s focus area is network organization PROPOSED SERVICE REGION: The proposed service region is Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw counties of Alabama. Cities in Butler County include Georgiana, Greenville, and McKenzie. Cities in Coffee County include Elba, Enterprise, and New Brockton. Cities in Covington County include Andalusia, Florala, and Opp. Cities in Crenshaw County include Brantley, Luverne, and Rutledge. ABSTRACT: South Central Alabama Mental Health Board, Inc. (SCAMHB) and local law enforcement aim to establish a rural health network addressing mental health crises in Butler, Coffee, Covington, and Crenshaw counties, Alabama. These counties face mental health professional shortages, leading to increased workloads and burnout. Additionally challenges like wage inequities, inadequate health insurance coverage, limited broadband access, and historical lack of crisis care contribute to a strained mental health system that is unable to effectively respond to individuals in crisis. SCACRN will facilitate coordination, expand access to, and improve the quality of mental health care services. The goal of SCACRN is to create an effective, comprehensive, and well-coordinated crisis response system for prompt and efficient support for individuals in crisis. Improving mental health crisis response is crucial for equitable and effective support, reducing barriers to care, and improving outcomes for individuals experiencing crisis. First responders typically serve as the initial point of contact for individuals in crisis. Law enforcement officers are skilled and trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and maintaining public safety. This positions them as optimal first responders for crisis response. SCACRN plans to mobilize community stakeholders, enhancing their capacity to deliver timely and targeted crisis services. Training programs will prepare first responders to respond more effectively to individuals in crisis. Leveraging behavioral health infrastructure like telehealth services will enable real-time communication with trained mental health providers, potentially reducing the severity of outcomes and fostering better long-term mental health outcomes for the community. Increased capacity of local stakeholders to respond to mental health crises will contribute to equitable access to mental health services, relieve some of the burden on mental health professionals, and enhance overall community resilience. SCAMHB will spearhead the establishment of SCACRN, serving as the central hub. SCAMHB has decades of experience serving the population of focus and providing comprehensive mental health services to lower income individuals in geographically underserved communities. SCACRN's initial composition will include SCAMHB, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office, Elba Police Department, and Greenville Police Department. The collaboration between law enforcement and mental health expertise strengthens SCACRN's effectiveness in addressing mental health crises. SCAMHB has worked with local law enforcement in various capacities in previous years and is ready to formalize a crisis response together. SCAMHB learned about this funding opportunity through Grants.gov. SCACRN members qualify funding preference because they are in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and Medically Underserved Community/Populations (MUC/MUPs) designated area.
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).