FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - ezra medical center's behavioral health services expansion (BHSE) program will increase access to behavioral health services for low-income individuals in…

FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - ezra medical center's behavioral health services expansion (BHSE) program will increase access to behavioral health services for low-income individuals in borough park, brooklyn and surrounding communities. Many of these low-income individuals are also medically underserved, limited english proficient, and/or hasidic orthodox jewish individuals with unique cultural and religious beliefs and customs, some of which limit access to care such as strict cultural barriers to accessing mental health or substance abuse treatment, including the high stigmatization of such services. Our BHSE program will promote access and affordability to care; improve and expand quality, patient care safety, and integrated services; increase our workforce by hiring qualified culturally attuned mental health providers and support staff; and improve the patient experience overall. Our BHSE program activities will include treatment, recovery, and support services. Thus, this program will increase access to behavioral health services that will provide expanded mental health services and initiate substance use disorder (SUD) services at our center. As a result of this program, an increased number of high-needs at-risk patients in brooklyn will receive mental health services and SUD services, including treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) that may be otherwise inaccessible to them.