FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - HCP grant number: H80CS04289 lone star circle of care (LSCC) is a private, non-profit federally qualified health center (FQHC) network of 32 sites and a…

FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - HCP grant number: H80CS04289 lone star circle of care (LSCC) is a private, non-profit federally qualified health center (FQHC) network of 32 sites and a mobile mammography unit spanning bastrop, bell, burnet, travis, and williamson counties in central texas, and a south-central houston service area consisting of 5 zctas. LSCC's target population consists of uninsured and underserved residents who need a comprehensive health home, of whom over 50% are hispanic. Over the past 20 years, LSCC has continually increased access to care and enhanced service provision to meet the evolving needs of its service area through adoption of patient- and community-centered health home models to advance health equity and significant investments in data analytics and population-based health interventions to support value-based care transformation. According to mental health america, in 2023, texas ranked among the bottom of states for access to mental health. Across 15 measures related to prevalence of mental illness and access to care, texas ranked 46TH overall. While texas has the third lowest prevalence of mental health and substance use issues, IT ranks last in the nation on measures related to insurance, access to treatment, quality and cost of insurance, and mental health workforce availability. Considering substance use, nearly 8 in every 100 texans has a substance use disorder (SUD), with 1 in 5 having a drug-related SUD. Drug poisoning-related deaths by any opioid have steadily increased over the past decade. In texas health service region 7, which includes LSCC's central texas service area, deaths have tripled from 3.3 per 100,000 people in 2011 to 10 per 100,000 people in 2022. Currently in texas, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are provided to only 14% of individuals admitted to state-funded indigent care (non-MEDICAID) SUD services. Given the immense need for affordable, accessible behavioral health (BH) care in its service area, LSCC H as developed a highly integrated service line that directly employs psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, therapists, and BH medical assistants (MAS) to provide psychiatry and medication management, psychotherapy, and SUD screening. LSCC has referral relationships with external providers to assure access to higher acuity BH services across the continuum of care. LSCC's BH and primary care clinicians coordinate care plans to address patients' overlapping physical and mental needs and many clinics have embedded therapists, providing convenient access for patients and opportunities for consultation among clinicians. FY2024 behavioral health service expansion funding will allow LSCC to build upon these existing services by establishing direct SUD treatment for the first time, to include the prescription and management of MOUD. These services will be initiated at an existing primary care clinic located in an austin community with high need for SUD treatment and few available resources. Services will be supported by newly hired care team consisting of a psychiatrist, two therapists, a BH MA, and a front desk position. This team will also serve to expand access to mental health services in this community. To help navigate patients through SUD treatment and address identified non-medical drivers of health, LSCC will hire a case manager who will strengthen relationships with external behavioral health and social services providers, link patients with referral resources, and systematically close referral loops in a timely manner. Through implementation of both expanded mental health care access and first-time MOUD services, LSCC expects an increase in the number of patients provided mental health care, as well as patients receiving SUD treatment services.