Project northkey CCBHC-IA - the northkey certified community behavioral health clinic improvement and advancement (CCBHC-IA) project will support the expansion of integrated behavioral healthcare to…

Project northkey CCBHC-IA - the northkey certified community behavioral health clinic improvement and advancement (CCBHC-IA) project will support the expansion of integrated behavioral healthcare to children, adolescents, and adults in the eight county northern kentucky region. Emphasis will be placed on outreach and service to individuals who face barriers related to inadequate access to healthcare or who belong to historically marginalized groups. This initiative will include transportation, public education, care coordination with law enforcement, crisis response, and physical health promotion. As a CCBHC certified by the commonwealth of kentucky and a joint commission accredited and licensed regional community mental health center, northkey will implement strategies to close the treatment gaps that exist in northern kentucky to ensure a comprehensive, integrated, coordinated, and person-centered system of behavioral healthcare is sustained. The region served by northkey represents over 470,000 individuals in a community devastated by the opioid epidemic. The racial demographic is primarily white, with a broad range of economic diversity across the urban, suburban, and rural counties. The number of kentuckians reporting frequent mental distress has increased, and CO-occurring physical health conditions exacerbate the well-being of northern kentuckians. The average ratio of mental health providers in the region is only 1,320:1, as compared to 390:1 for kentucky. Similarly, the average ratio of physical health providers is 2,518:1, as compared to 1,540:1 for kentucky. There is an urgent need to ensure immediate access to integrated behavioral healthcare to everyone in the region regardless of their ability to pay or place of residence. Northkey's health equity and diversity committee will take the lead in specifically addressing disparities that exist for black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC); lgbtq individuals; and persons of lower socioeconomic status. This project will: (1) increase the penetration rate of adults and youth with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance and substance use disorders served by the CCBHC, (2) expand suicide prevention outreach, treatment and care coordination efforts for adults and youth identified at risk for suicide and (3) increase the availability of integrated physical health and primary care support to ameliorate chronic CO-morbidities that drive poor health outcomes. Objectives for the northkey CCBHC-IA project include: reduce missed visits by providing transportation; expand financial and insurance enrollment assistance; increase public education to promote access to services and reduce stigma; increase care coordination with community partners to support effective care transitions; expand the consumer advisory council; partner with law enforcement to coordinate crisis care; improve care transitions with regional hospitals and emergency departments; expand workforce to specialize in school crisis response; increase collection and monitoring of physical health measurements; utilize community health workers to provide health education and healthcare navigation; and expand primary care services to improve health outcomes. Key activities include: continued partnership in the kentucky CCBHC demonstration project; specialized services and care coordination for members and family of the armed forces and veterans; meaningful involvement of consumers and family members in design and evaluation of services; updated community needs assessment; and the development of a sustainability plan. This project will serve 1,190 unduplicated individuals: 275 in year one, 290 in year two, 305 in year three, and 320 in year four.