FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - background: infinity health is a federally qualified health center based in leon, iowa

The center operates 12 locations in an eleven-county service area of rural south central iowa and north central missouri, offering primary medical care, behavioral health services, and substance use disorder treatment, including medication-assisted treatment (mat), oral health, and pharmacy services. In 2023, the health center served 9,854 patients, with 70% of those whose income is known living at or below 200% of poverty. Infinity health is the only fqhc in iowa with dual designations as a community mental health center and a community health center. This dual designation ensures a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated continuum of care for area residents. Needs to be addressed: one in every five iowans live with some form of mental illness, and mental health america reports that 33% have unmet treatment needs. Many rural residents in iowa face mental health and substance misuse issues without access to critical mental health services offered in urban communities. Iowa ranks worst in the nation for the number of hospital beds for adults with serious mental illness. The iowa department of public safety reports that the state ranks 35TH in illicit drug use and 48TH in overdose deaths (2023). The state's suicide rate has risen 57.9% in the last ten years (iowa health & human services). Target population: infinity health serves residents who are uninsured, underinsured, low-income, and unable to access primary care except through other avenues. The health center operates on a sliding scale fee to make care affordable to everyone. Proposed services: residents in infinity health's rural service area lack sufficient mental health and SUD treatment providers. Infinity health will increase the number of mental health patients, patients receiving substance use disorder treatment, and patients receiving medication-assisted treatment, includin G treatment with medications for opioid use disorder, by expanding its behavioral health team and expanding the number of patients served by its mat/moud providers. The health center will use hrsa behavioral health service expansion funding and program income to hire 3.0 FTE behavioral health therapists and 2.0 community health workers and provide training to 2.0 existing staff persons to become substance use disorder counselors. The health center's medical director, behavioral health director, dental director, and pharmacy director will work with existing staff to increase the number of patients served. Infinity health proposed to serve 200 patients in year 1 through 1,200 visits and 300 patients in year 2 through 1,800 visits.