FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - in the united states and beyond, behavioral health challenges are rising across all populations, and yet disparities exist

People from racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive mental health care. In 2015 among adults, 48% of whites received mental health services, compared with 31% of blacks and hispanics. African americans seeking mental health care often receive poorer quality of care and lack access to culturally competent care. (https://WWW.dbsalliance.ORG/education/disparities-mental-health-care/) georgia ranks 48TH in 50 states and DC for access to mental health care, resources and insurance. (https://WWW.mhageorgia.ORG/) approximately one in three adults in georgia report having symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder. Drug overdose death rates have increased from 10.7 per 100,000 in 2011 to 23.5 per 100,000 in 2021, with the uptick in substance use and deaths disproportionately affecting people of color. The suicide rate in georgia has increased as well, outpacing the national average since 2018 and increasing disproportionately among people of color. Provider shortages are another significant challenge and barrier to care, with unmet need in the state at 43%. Among adults who need mental health or substance use care, groups most likely to face barriers to accessing care include uninsured people, underinsured people and communities of color (KFF mental health and substance use fact sheet - georgia). Healing community center (heal) fills a significant GAP in the metro atlanta safety net. Founded in 2004 and located in one of atlanta's poorest neighborhoods, heal serves nearly four thousand patients annually in fulton county, an area with one of the highest rates of health disparity and poverty in the nation. Heal's target population, based on historical trends and 2023 federally reported data, is primarily african american (94%), with 97% of all patients currently living at or below 200% of the federal poverty l evel. 56% are on medicaid and an additional 27% are uninsured. 60% of patients ages 12 and up screened positive for depression. Heal has the established experience and credibility to partner with hrsa to address these disparities with funding under hrsa-24-078 behavioral health service expansion. Heal proposes to increase the number of patients receiving mental health services and SUD services, including treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (moud), by integrating behavioral health screening services with primary care visits and expanding our in-house behavioral health capacity to include a part-time psychiatrist, full time nurse practitioner, licensed clinical social workers and community health workers. Heal will utilize the evidence based sbirt screening and intervention approach to identify and treat patients with suds. In year 1, heal will provide mental health services to 750 patients (an increase of 634 patients) and SUD services to 250 patients (all new patients). Heal will strengthen our formalized collaborations to increase referrals to our mental health and SUD programs. Heal also will support patients and improve health outcomes by addressing negative social determinants that plague our target population, including access to transportation, insurance eligibility and enrollment, and healthcare accessibility. Heal's community health workers will coordinate care with community partners to provide needed supportive services including housing, food, work/economic support, training, and other needed services. Through direct mental health and SUD care, coupled with comprehensive healthcare and supportive community services, heal will improve overall health and behavioral health outcomes for an underserved population, improving health and health equity for our community.