Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program - Organization Name and Address: Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network 44 Kingshighway Eureka Springs, AR 72632 Entity Type/Facility: 501c3 nonprofit Website: https://abhinetwork.org/ Proposed Target Service Area: The target area includes three sites in rural Arkansas: Dr. Lofton’s Family Clinic in De Queen, Arkansas (Sevier County), Dr. Ladonna George, MD Family Practice Physician in Warren, Arkansas (Bradley County), and River Valley Medical (Pope County). The total population of the target area is approximately 90,329. Network Name: Arkansas Rural Behavioral Health Access (ARBHA) Network Legislative Aim: The ARBHA Network will address all three (3) legislative aims: 1) achieve efficiencies; 2) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes; 3) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole. Focus Area: Mental health; target population includes patients struggling with poor MH/BH, any mental illness (AMI), and serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) in the target area. Throughout this application we sometimes simplify and refer to these conditions collectively as “MH/BH conditions”. Funding Preference: Funding preference requirements are met for qualifications 1,2, and 3. Sevier, Bradley and Pope are all designated Mental Health HPSA (preference 1) and Bradley County is an MUA (preference 2). Further, the ARBHA Network focuses on primary care, and wellness and prevention strategies (preference 3). The project will increase the ability of primary care clinics to address MH/BH conditions. Brief Project Summary: The Arkansas Rural Behavioral Health Access (ARBHA) Network purpose is to improve access to quality mental and behavioral health (MH/BH) services by building an integrated healthcare network that increases regional capacity for psychiatric consultation, collaborative care, and bidirectional referrals among rural primary care providers (PCPs), psychiatric providers, and other specialty MH/BH providers. The ARBHA Network will engage in one year of strategic planning focused on building an integrated healthcare network that increases regional capacity for psychiatric consultation, collaborative care, and bidirectional referrals among PCPs, psychiatric providers, and other specialty MH/BH providers. As scarce local resources across the healthcare system are maximized, unified, and become more efficient, more patients will receive an appropriate level of care in a timely manner which will improve patient outcomes. The goals of the ARBHA Network planning year are to: 1) conduct a comprehensive regional needs assessment to identify existing resources, patient needs and gaps in services, and provider needs; 2) expand and formalize the ARBHA Network by adding new providers, developing an operational plan, and establishing a formal MOU; 3) develop a strategic plan, action plan, and sustainability plan for the ARBHA Network based on results from the needs assessment; 4) conduct a robust evaluation of all ARBHA Network Planning Project goals, activities, and strategies.
