FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - center for pan asian community services INC

Cosmo health center (CCHC), grant number: H80CS26591 the cpacs cosmo health center provides access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care services to low income and underserved residents of dekalb and gwinnett counties in metropolitan atlanta. The health center serves all people regardless of ability to pay, and tailors its services to provide care that is respectful and culturally and linguistically accessible to atlanta's diverse immigrant and refugee population. The bulk of the target population resides in gwinnett and dekalb counties in metropolitan atlanta. The service area includes two medically underserved areas (MUAS), one of which is a refugee resettlement hub with a large asian american native hawaiian and pacific islander (AANHPI) population. Originally focused on the needs of the korean immigrant community the organization has expanded its focus to address the needs of the broader asian immigrant and refugee community in atlanta. In the service area the total population is 1,738,173 of which 22% are foreign born and 28.7% speak a language other than english at home. Many immigrants and refugees have limited english proficiency (LEP), and are only able to obtain employment in low-paying jobs. Many have low health literacy, and have not had access to primary care in their countries of origin. As a result, many immigrants and refugees have unmet health needs and face great difficulty navigating the health care system or being able to afford care. Recognizing the need for access to affordable care that meets the cultural and linguistic competency needs of the immigrant community, cpacs established the dowa free clinic in 2009. In 2013, cpacs obtained section 330 community health center funding from hrsa and established the cpacs cosmo community health center (CCHC) as an fqhc in the heart of one of atlanta's immigrant communities. According to the substance abuse and mental health services administration (SAMHSA), immigrants and refugees are especially susceptible to ptsd and depression as a result of exposure to traumatic experiences before, during, and after migration which may include exposure to extreme poverty, the risk of physical, psychological, and sexual violence and exploitation, and inhumane detention conditions. Once settled in this country, immigration policies, loss of social networks, discrimination, financial pressures, dangerous working conditions, and low socioeconomic status can further increase stress and unhealthy coping strategies. Many CCHC patients struggle with depression, anxiety and substance use disorders (SUD). In 2023, CCHC provided mental health services to 114 patients and SUD counseling services to 66 patients with CCHC does not currently provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). We propose to use behavioral health service expansion (BHSE) funds to increase behavioral health staffing and to implement direct provision of MOUD. BHSE funding will allow CCHC to provide competitive salaries to recruit and retain behavioral health providers with the necessary linguistic and cultural competency skills to provide behavioral health services to patients with low english proficiency. As a result of funding, we anticipate that by december 31, 2025 the number of patients receiving mental health services will increase from the current baseline to 364, the number receiving SUD services will increase to 266, and MOUD will be provided to 250 patients.