FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - scenic bluffs community health centers (SBCHC) is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) dedicated to providing affordable, patient-centered primary…

FY 2024 behavioral health service expansion - scenic bluffs community health centers (SBCHC) is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) dedicated to providing affordable, patient-centered primary care in western wisconsin. SBCHC's service area includes the fully rural monroe, vernon, and crawford counties as well as LA crosse county; SBCHC also serves patients in adjacent counties such as trempealeau and grant. SBCHC has integrated care clinics in cashton (population 1,176) and norwalk (POP. 602) in monroe county, and single-service sites in LA crosse (POP. 51,380), with plans underway for a new integrated clinic in prairie DU chien (POP. 5,506) in 2025 (crawford county). SBCHC delivers high-quality integrated dental, medical, behavioral health, complementary therapies, and pharmacy services, and prioritizes access to all in the communities IT serves. SBCHC's service area includes communities ranked as some of the most underserved in the state of wisconsin. All SBCHC service locations range from 62-94 on the national area deprivation index (ADI) scale (with 100 indicating the most disadvantaged areas). On the ADI state-wide level, the LA crosse behavioral health service site ranks 10 out of 10 for most disadvantaged in wisconsin. Expanding access to behavioral health services is a priority of SBCHC. SBCHC currently employs seven experienced counselors who treat patients of all ages by providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services and supporting patients in a medication assisted treatment (MOUD) program. SBCHC's recently-purchased LA crosse behavioral health site is located in the reach center, a walk-in resource center offering housing navigation, homeless prevention, mental/aoda support, healthcare, and violence prevention and support in one location. Offering services in this space provides the opportunity to expand single-service sites in LA crosse (dental in one location, behavioral health in another) into one facility and add primary medical services-true T O SBCHC's mission of providing integrated healthcare services. To meet needs of the most underserved areas in western and southwestern wisconsin, SBCHC proposes a program that includes adding four licensed counselors, a registered nurse to support MOUD and all behavioral health patients, psychiatry consultation, behavioral health care coordinators, training for providers and for all staff, recovery coaches, a patient access coordinator to help patients address social determinants of health, furnishings and supplies to ensure safe, high-quality treatment and good patient experience. In addition to expansion of service at the LA crosse site, cashton clinic, and norwalk clinic, the proposed program includes expansion of school-based service in school districts in crawford, monroe, vernon, and trempealeau counties - districts targeted as having the most unmet needs.