Project Grant H8N53908

This $600,000 Project Grant award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Community Health Centers (CFDA 93.224) program aims to expand behavioral health services and substance use disorder treatment for adolescents and young adults in Oakland, California. The key products and services to be delivered include:

1. Hiring and supporting additional licensed clinical social workers at the primary care site and school-based health centers to provide mental health services and integrated behavioral health care. This will increase access to mental health treatment within the existing medical home framework.

2. Developing a curriculum and expanding education for primary care pediatricians at the center and for pediatric trainees to ensure a broader network of providers can deliver evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder.

3. Funding a substance use navigator role to provide case management, care coordination, and address social determinants of health, including increasing support and referrals from the local children's emergency department and primary care clinics.

The grant aims to improve outcomes for adolescents and young adults struggling with mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in accessing this care.