Behavioral Health Network Of Vermont Inc

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

VERMONT'S MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE INITIATIVE (MUCI) - BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NETWORK OF VERMONT, INC. DBA VERMONT CARE NETWORK (VCN) WILL SUPPORT FIVE OF ITS NETWORK AGENCIES IN THE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF MENTAL HEALTH URGENT CARE INITIATIVES (MUCI) IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS OF THE STATE. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF MUCI IS TO SERVE YOUTH AND FAMILIES (AND ADULTS IN ADDISON COUNTY) EARLY IN THE CRISIS CYCLE TO AVOID FURTHER ESCALATION AND UNNECESSARY NEED FOR HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE. UNITED COUNSELING SERVICE OF BENNINGTON COUNTY (UCS), COUNSELING SERVICE OF ADDISON COUNTY (CSAC), LAMOILLE COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (LCMHS), HOWARD CENTER (HC) (CHITTENDEN COUNTY), AND HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION SERVICES (HCRS) (WINDHAM COUNTY), WILL DEVELOP URGENT CARE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF EXISTING SERVICES. THE LACK OF NEEDED URGENT CARE RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN VERMONT HAS REACHED A CRISIS. EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC LED TO INCREASED NEED AND REDUCED INPATIENT BED CAPACITY, ACUTE SHORTAGES OF OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE COPING WITH CRISES LED TO FREQUENT EPISODES OF EXTENDED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT [ED] STAYS. INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESSFUL PEDIATRIC URGENT CARE FOR KIDS [PUCK] MODEL AT UCS, MUCI WILL INCLUDE AN EXPANSION OF PUCK IN BENNINGTON COUNTY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOUR ADDITIONAL URGENT CARE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT VERMONT TWO OF WHICH WILL BE SIMILAR TO PUCK. MUCI WILL AIM TO ACHIEVE THREE PRIMARY GOALS: 1) PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN MUCI PROGRAMS WILL DEMONSTRATE A DECREASE IN ACUITY OF REFERRING SYMPTOMS UPON DISCHARGE; 2) PEOPLE SUPPORTED BY MUCI PROGRAMS WILL REDUCE THEIR USE OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND HOSPITALIZATION TO MANAGE MENTAL HEALTH CRISES; AND 3) PEOPLE IN THE MUCI PROGRAM WHO ARE ADMITTED TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISES WILL EXPERIENCE DECREASED LENGTHS OF STAY IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. IN TOTAL, UP TO 335 VERMONTERS WILL BE SUPPORTED THROUGH THE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF MUCI.

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

SAMHSA MHAT: ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY BASED CARE FOR EVERYONE. STOP THE STIGMA. VERMONT (ACCES VT) - ACCESS VT (ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY-BASED CARE FOR EVERYONE. STOP THE STIGMA) IS A STATEWIDE COLLABORATION BETWEEN VERMONT CARE NETWORK, VERMONT’S COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES, AND VERMONT LEADERSHIP EDUCATION IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM. ACCESS VT WILL TRAIN 48 TEEN, YOUTH, AND ADULT MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (T/Y/MHFA) INSTRUCTORS, 5000 VERMONTERS IN T/Y/MHFA AND 250 VERMONTERS IN CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY (CALC). THE GOALS OF ACCESS VT ARE TO: 1) EXPAND VERMONT’S STATEWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE OF T/Y/MHFA INSTRUCTORS TO IDENTIFY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND INCREASE COLLABORATION AMONG COMMUNITY BASE PROVIDERS; 2) INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OTHERS SUPPORTING THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE AND THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO GAIN A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES; 3) INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SERVICES TO DIVERSE POPULATIONS. IN ADDITION TO GENERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TARGETED POPULATIONS INCLUDE: SCHOOL STAFF, STUDENTS IN GRADES 10-12, STUDENTS AND STAFF IN HIGHER EDUCATION, FIRST RESPONDERS, BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) COMMUNITIES, AND REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT (R/I) COMMUNITIES. ACCESS VT GOALS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: BY 12/21 VCN WILL COMPLETE AN INSTRUCTOR GAP ANALYSIS; BY 12/21 VCN WILL EXPAND COMMUNITY BASED PARTNERSHIPS WITH YOUTH AND ADULT SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, ADDING TWO PARTNERS PER GRANT YEAR; BY 2/22 VCN WILL DEVELOP AND BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT A MARKETING PLAN, INCLUSIVE OF SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES AND REFLECTIVE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POPULATIONS OF FOCUS; BY THE END OF YEAR 1, INSTRUCTORS WILL TRAIN 200, 10TH, 11TH, AND/OR 12TH GRADERS IN TEEN MHFA AND 250 ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN EACH FOLLOWING YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 1,200; BY THE END OF YEAR 1 INSTRUCTORS WILL TRAIN 300 INDIVIDUALS IN YOUTH MHFA AND 400 ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN EACH FOLLOWING YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 1900; BY THE END OF YEAR 1 INSTRUCTORS WILL TRAIN 300 INDIVIDUALS IN ADULT MHFA AND 400 ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN EACH FOLLOWING YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 1900; OF THE 5000 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS TRAINED THROUGHOUT THE GRANT, 50% WILL BE WITHIN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND 50% GENERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS; IN YEAR 1, VCN WILL DEVELOP A RESOURCE GUIDE TEMPLATE, DESCRIBING AVAILABLE SERVICES AND REFERRAL OPTIONS; BY THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD, REFERRALS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WILL SHOW A 150% INCREASE FROM BASELINE; BY THE END OF THE GRANT AT LEAST 6,000 YOUTH AND/OR ADULTS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY A STEP OF THE ALGEE ACTION PLAN AND/OR REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY FIRST AIDERS; BY THE END OF THE GRANT VCN WILL CONTRACT FOR CONSULTATION ON CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE HIRING PRACTICES PROVIDED TO 75% OF THE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS; BY THE END OF THE GRANT, 250 YOUTH AND ADULT SERVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS WILL BE TRAINED IN THE CALC CURRICULUM; BY THE END OF THE GRANT, 4 CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS SUMMITS WILL BE HELD.

WHEELS AND WAVES: A STATEWIDE VIDEO DIRECTLY OBSERVED TREATMENT [VDOT] PROGRAM - WHEELS AND WAVES IS A VIDEO DIRECTLY OBSERVED TREATMENT [VDOT] PROGRAM THAT IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO METHADONE AND BUPRENORPHINE DISPENSED FROM OPIATE USE DISORDER [OUD] TREATMENT PROGRAMS (KNOWN IN VERMONT AS “HUBS”) TO VERMONTERS WHO OTHERWISE ARE REQUIRED TO TRAVEL TO THE HUB SITE FOR OBSERVED DOSING. THROUGH WHEELS AND WAVES, PATIENTS ARE SUPPLIED WITH SECURE MEDICATION DISPENSERS AND A SMART PHONE VIDEO APP ENABLING THEM TO RECORD THEMSELVES TAKING METHADONE OR BUPRENORPHINE, AND THEN SUBMIT THE VIDEO FOR STAFF OBSERVATION. THE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED AT THE HOWARD CENTER’S CHITTENDEN CLINIC FROM 2016-2019, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING BARRIERS TO TREATMENT, INCREASING RETENTION RATES, INCREASING EMPLOYMENT RATES, AND REDUCING COSTS FOR THE PATIENT AND THE STATE. VERMONT CARE NETWORK WILL ADMINISTER THE SAMHSA GRANT ALLOWING THE WHEELS AND WAVES PILOT TO BE EXPANDED STATEWIDE MAKING VDOT AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS AT ALL 8 HUBS SERVING VERMONTERS. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF WHEELS AND WAVES IS TO INCREASE THE MAT RETENTION RATES OF UP TO 400 VERMONTERS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES WHO ARE ACCESSING METHADONE AND BUPRENORPHINE DISPENSED FROM HUB OUD TREATMENT PROGRAMS. THE STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION WILL SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING FOUR OBJECTIVES: 1) BY NOVEMBER 30 2022, VCN WILL HAVE TRAINED 8 HUBS IN THE REMOTE SUPERVISED DOSING MODEL; 2) BY SEPTEMBER 29 2023, HUBS WILL HAVE ENROLLED UP TO 400 UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS IN WHEELS AND WAVES AS MEASURED BY NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED AT LEAST OFF-SITE DOSING VIDEO TO THE HUB’S SECURE PLATFORM; 3) BY SEPTEMBER 29 2023, THE RETENTION RATE FOR MAT AT EACH HUB PARTICIPATING IN WHEELS AND WAVES WILL BE 10% HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR; AND 4) WITHIN THE 90-DAY CLOSE-OUT PERIOD, VCN WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AVERAGE MONTHLY COST AND TIME SAVINGS FOR AT LEAST 200 VERMONTERS ENROLLED IN WHEELS AND WAVES.

RURAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OUTREACH GRANT PROGRAM

AWARE VERMONT

COMMUNITY FIRST (FIRST SIGNS, INTERVENTION, REFERRAL, SUPPORT, TREATMENT) VERMONT

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

AWARE VERMONT