Project Grant H8N54043

FY 2024 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE EXPANSION - THE WAIMANALO HEALTH CENTER (WHC) IS REQUESTING $600,000 TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE ITS CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE UNDERSERVED PATIENT POPULATIONS OF WAIMANALO AND THE KO'OLAUPOKO AREA BY EXPANDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY OF WAIMANALO IS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ISLAND OF OAHU AND IS NOT ONLY DEFINED BY ITS GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES BUT ALSO BY THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE FROM ITS UNIQUE POPULATION. ALTHOUGH WHC SERVES PATIENTS REPRESENTING ALL AREAS OF THE ISLAND, COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORTS FOCUS ON THE LARGE NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION OF WAIMANALO. THIS AREA INCLUDES 7,249 WAIMANALO RESIDENTS WHO ARE NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PART-HAWAIIAN, APPROXIMATELY 66% OF THE POPULATION OF WAIMANALO. WAIMANALO REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST CONCENTRATED AREAS OF HAWAIIANS IN THE STATE. FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE HIRING OF AN ADDITIONAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (BH) PROVIDER, WHO WILL ASSIST WHC'S MOBILE MEDICINE TEAM IN SERVING THOSE WHO ARE HOUSELESS AT SHELTERS, PARKS, CAMPS TO DELIVER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ON-SITE. THE BH PROVIDER WILL ALSO EXPAND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES BY ADDING EVENING HOURS ON FOUR WEEKDAYS. WHC'S CURRENT PSYCHIATRY SERVICES ARE AT FULL CAPACITY, AS PATIENTS ARE NEEDING TO WAIT A MONTH OR LONGER FOR A NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENT. WHC PLANS TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL PSYCHIATRIST FOR 8 HOURS A WEEK TO REDUCE WAIT TIMES AND INCREASE ACCESS, AS THERE ARE LIMITED PSYCHIATRISTS ACCEPTING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID INSURANCE PLANS. THE PSYCHIATRIST WILL ALSO FUNCTION AS A CONSULTANT TO THE INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE TEAM, THEREBY IMPROVING THE SKILLS IN PRESCRIBING PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS FOR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. FUNDING WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE HIRING OF A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, WHO WILL ASSIST WITH SCHEDULING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS, COORDINATING WITH PRIMARY CARE TEAM MEMBERS, COLLABORATING WITH INTENSIVE DRUG TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, AND ASSISTING WITH R EFERRALS. WHC WILL ALSO HIRE ANOTHER PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER WHO IS ABLE TO PROVIDE FDA APPROVED MEDICATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ADDICTION, SUCH AS BUPRENORPHINE, NALOXONE AND NALTREXONE. THE ADDITIONAL PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER WILL HELP WITH INCREASING ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. DURING PRIMARY CARE SERVICES, WHC ROUTINELY SCREENS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND THERE IS AN AUTOMATIC WARM HAND-OFF TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR POSITIVE SCREENS. WHC WILL ALSO HIRE A CARE MANAGER, WHO WILL ASSIST PATIENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS BY REDUCING BARRIERS TO CARE. THIS WILL INCLUDE HELPING WITH UNSTABLE HOUSING, FINANCIAL STRAIN, LIMITED ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, AND COORDINATING WITH WHC STAFF AND COMMUNITY PROVIDERS TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF CARE FOR OUR MOST COMPLEX PATIENTS.