Project Grant H79SM086504

LAKEVIEW CENTER, INC. CCBHC-PDI - BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES (BHS) IS A DIVISION OF LAKEVIEW CENTER INC. (LCI) IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY FL, AN ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 68 YEARS OF DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE PROVIDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES. LCI PROPOSES TO PROVIDE RECRUITMENT INTO MH/SUD/COD TREATMENT PROGRAMS, FOR THE POPULATION OF FOCUS (POF) IN ESCAMBIA, SANTA ROSA AND WALTON COUNTIES, FLORIDA. OVER THE 4-YEAR PERIOD THE PROPOSED LCI CCBHC-PDI PROGRAM, WILL EXPAND THE PROVISION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES (I.E., MET, MATRIX MODEL, PEER NAVIGATOR/WARM HANDOFF, SCREENING/ELIGIBILITY AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, ETC.). THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS (POF) FOR THE PROJECT ARE: INDIGENT PERSONS (LIVING AT 130% BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL) WITH MI/SUD AND/OR COD OF ALL GENDERS/IDENTITIES IN THE CATCHMENT AREA. DURING THE FUNDING PERIOD (4 YEARS): SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED TO 762 PERSONS. FURTHER, SCREENING/ASSESSMENT, ELIGIBILITY, PEER NAVIGATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED TO ALL PERSONS SCREENED AND ASSESSED. LCI HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, BOTH WITH THE SELECTED POPULATIONS OF FOCUS, AND IN THE PROVISION OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS WITH A STRONG EVIDENCE-BASE OF EFFECTIVENESS. THE NEED FOR INCREASED ENGAGEMENT AND IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT TIME FOR MENTAL HEALTH/SUD CARE FOR THE NOTED POPULATION OF FOCUS (POF) IS BASED ON LOCAL DATA: AMONG THE "MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH PROBLEMS" NOTED BY COMMUNITY LEADERS, MENTAL HEALTH RANKED #1. AND OF THE 5 HEALTH PRIORITIES SELECTED FOR 2022 BY THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUD WERE RANKED #2 AND #3. FURTHER, INCREASED RATES OF OVERDOSE AND OD DEATHS ARE A MAJOR CONCERN. IN 2021 THERE WERE 814 SUSPECTED OPIOID OVERDOSES, ACCOUNTING FOR A 120% INCREASE. SPECIFIC SPIKES AMONG OD DEATHS WERE SEEN IN THE USE OF MORPHINE AND FENTANYL. THE LCI CCBHC-PDI PROGRAM WILL DELIVER CULTURALLY RELEVANT INTERVENTIONS WHICH: INCREASE RECRUITMENT AND LINKAGE TO MH/SUD/COD TREATMENT PROGRAMS; PROVIDE FOCUSED SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES, TARGETED ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT, PEER NAVIGATION SERVICES (WHICH WILL PROVIDE A WARM HANDOFF OF NEW CLIENTS FROM REGISTRATION TO TREATMENT SERVICES) AND COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, ALL IN ADVANCE OF THE PROVISION OF ACTUAL MH/SUD TREATMENT SERVICES. THE EVALUATOR FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE DR. SUSAN WALCH (UNIVERSITY OF WEST FL), WHO HAS OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PROGRAMMATIC ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION. DR. WALCH IS A PROFESSOR OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY, HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. SHE IS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST SPECIALIZING IN PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES AND WOMEN'S HEALTH (AMONG OTHERS). SHE HAS (CO)WRITTEN NUMEROUS PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES ON THE SOCIAL FACTORS OF HOMOPHOBIA, ATTITUDES TOWARD TRANSGENDERED PERSONS AND MANAGING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE. SUPPORTERS OF HER RESEARCH ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTIONS HAVE INCLUDED: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SOUTHERN REACH AND THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION, ET.AL.