FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - primary care providers for a healthy feliciana (PCPFHF) INC., established in 1999, is a private not-for-profit 501©3 community health center (CHC) network…

FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - primary care providers for a healthy feliciana (PCPFHF) INC., established in 1999, is a private not-for-profit 501©3 community health center (CHC) network domiciled in clinton, louisiana in east feliciana parish. PCPFHF operates eleven sites under the name of RKM primary care in east feliciana, east baton rouge, west baton rouge, livingston, and tangipahoa parishes. Medical, dental, and behavioral health services are provided on-site with both telehealth and remote patient monitoring capabilities to its 22,300 patients. Additionally, PCPFHF delivers portable behavioral health services in 65 schools in livingston and tangipahoa parishes and 3 schools in west baton rouge parish. The portable services provide behavioral health access to over 49,000 students. All services are available to every resident of the service area regardless of age, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, socioeconomic status, housing status, or the ability to pay. Particular attention, however, is directed at reaching the low-income, uninsured, underinsured, medicaid, medicare, and vulnerable populations. The organization serves patients throughout the life cycle from birth to death. Its focus on children is evident in its operation of five full-service sites on campuses in schools in both east feliciana and west baton rouge parish since as early as 1999. IT has been proven, time and time again that preventive care and early detection influence behavior and outcomes in the health of the older adults. PCPFHF promotes early childhood preventative and interventionist care to affect their quality of life as adults. Its integrated behavioral and medical services are conducive to early detection of abnormal or developmental delays such as adhd, depression and anxiety and even autism. According to nature.COM's article entitled "U.S. National, regional, and state-SP ecific socioeconomic factors correlate with child and adolescent adhd diagnoses pre-covid-19 pandemic", louisiana has the highest prevalence of adhd in the country having 15.7% of children diagnosed. Nearly 62% of which are taking medications. With early detection and learned coping skills, medication rates could go down. Therefore, PCPFHF seeks behavioral health expansion funding to increase its capacity to serve PCPFHF patients, in particular, school aged youth. Funding will add five new providers at schools in livingston, tangipahoa, and west baton parishes. Intervening early for mental health needs is vital to students performing academically and more importantly socially. Healthy youth make for healthy, productive contributing adults. PCPFHF conducted nearly 49,000 encounters to over 7,700 patients equating to an average of six encounters for every patient seen. Adding these providers will allow existing providers to focus on increasing its frequency of services to existing patients. The need is so high for services in the service area that providers struggle to fill the need for new patients. Funding will also provide for psychiatric nurse practitioners to support the social workers and counselors work with medication management services. Which evidence shows is vitally important to manage chronic conditions when used correctly and appropriately. A request in funding of $600,000 for year 1 will be utilized to hire a 1.0 FTE psychiatric nurse practitioner, (4) .85FTE social workers, lpcs, or lmfts, 1.0 FTE registration staff, and 3 community health workers to assist with community outreach and social determinants of health screenings. The approximate number of new patients served by these providers is 180 in year 1 based on a case load of 45 patients accessing services five times during the school year. In year 2 the request is for $500,000 with an increase in utilization to 1500 encounters to 250 patients.