LAKE WHATCOM RESIDENTIAL & TREATMENT CENTER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPANSION: FOSTERING RECOVERY THROUGH EXPANDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION - ACROSS THE NATION, MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS AND THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITIES ARE BEING IMPACTED BY MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. NATIONALLY, OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FAIL TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI) AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS. SYSTEMATIC ISSUES, REDUCED FUNDING, AND STIGMA HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO INEQUALITIES IN CARE FOR THIS POPULATION. LAKE WHATCOM RESIDENTIAL & TREATMENT CENTER (LWC) CONTINUES TO BE THE PRIMARY SERVICE PROVIDER ADDRESSING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN WHATCOM COUNTY. LWC DOES THIS BY PROVIDING OUTPATIENT RECOVERY SERVICES AIMED AT ADDRESSING WHOLE-HEALTH NEEDS IN PERSON-CENTERED WAYS. THE PURPOSE OF LWC'S CCBHC EXPANSION GRANT PROPOSAL IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE, QUALITY, COMMUNITY-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES BY IMPLEMENTING OUR EXTENDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION (ECOC) PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPAND ON EXISTING WHOLE-PERSON, RECOVERY-FOCUSED CARE SERVICES ALREADY ESTABLISHED TO INCREASE SERVICE ACCESSIBILITY AND MITIGATE STRAIN THE COMMUNITY. THE ECOC VISION IS TO SUPPORT A COMMUNITY-BASED, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM THAT SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH SMI AND CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE CONCERNS, ALONGSIDE THEIR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS, BY SUPPORTING RECOVERY AND EMPOWERING GROWTH. LWC WILL IMPLEMENT THIS BY ACCOMPLISHING THE FOLLOWING SIX GOALS AIMED TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND WHOLE-PERSON CARE: INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF CURRENT OUTPATIENT PROGRAMMING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY; REDUCE HIGH-UTILIZATION OF HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM, EMERGENCY/CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES OR INCARCERATION OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH SERVICE EXPANSION; INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CARE COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO INCREASE IDENTIFICATION OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES THAT CAN ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH; INCREASE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ACCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS AT RISK OF DISCHARGING TO HOMELESSNESS OR HIGH RISK SETTINGS; IMPROVE CLIENT OUTCOMES BY DELIVERING EVIDENCE-BASED OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES; AND DECREASE BARRIERS RELATED TO STIGMA OR MISS-INFORMATION IMPACTING SMI/CO-OCCURRING TREATMENT ACCESS THROUGH IMPROVED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND AWARENESS.