The Guidance Center Of Westchester Inc

IMPROVING ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOR THE UNDERSERVED OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY

EXPANDING ENHANCED ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE CARE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY - THE GUIDANCE CENTER OF WESTCHESTER (TGCW) PROPOSES CONTINUED CCBHC IMPROVEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT WITH FUNDING OF THIS PROPOSAL. WITH THIS FUNDING, WE WILL SERVE ADULTS AND CHILDREN SEEKING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THE MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF WESTCHESTER, FOR POPULATIONS EXPERIENCING GREATER DISPARITIES, CHALLENGING SDOH, AND IN A MUA/HPSA. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EXASPERATED WORKFORCE SHORTAGES AND THE MENTAL HEALTH AND TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES OF OUR COMMUNITY. TGCW WILL EXPAND AWARENESS OF OUR SERVICES AND INCREASE WALK-IN ACCESS IN TWO LOCATIONS; ENHANCE OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENTS AND PEER SUPPORT SERVICES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO TREATMENT; EXPAND ACCESS TO INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE, INCLUDING SCREENING AND MONITORING FOR HIV AND HEPATITIS; EXPAND ACCESS TO TARGETED CASE MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING INTENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR PARTICIPANTS AND VETERANS; AND IMPROVE WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT AND TRAINING. TGCW MEETS ALL SAMHSA CCBHC REQUIREMENTS, AND SEVERAL WILL BE IMPROVED AND ENHANCED WITH THIS FUNDING. EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES ARE UTILIZED THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE SYSTEM, AND WE WORK TO ENSURE ALL PRACTICES ARE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND ENGAGING TO THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY WE SERVE. TGCW'S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ENABLE EVERYONE TO LEARN, WORK, AND THRIVE. FOUNDED IN 1942, TGCW OFFERS PROGRAMS IN SIX AREAS: COLLEGE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT, HOUSING WITH CASE MANAGEMENT, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TGCW SERVES OVER 5,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR, HAS A BUDGET OF $23 MILLION, AND HAS 242 DEDICATED EMPLOYEES. TGCW HAS A ROBUST DATA COLLECTION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRUCTURE AND FOLLOWS STRICT HIPPA PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND DATA CONFIDENTIALITY PROTOCOLS. TGCW SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTS, ABSTRACTS, AND ANALYZES DATA TO INFORM QUALITY INITIATIVES RELATED TO HEALTHCARE ACCESS, OPERATIONS, CLINICAL OUTCOMES, AND CLIENT PERCEPTIONS OF CARE. WE WILL EXTEND THE SAME ROBUST DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING PROCESS AND TOOLS TO THE DATA COLLECTION AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT REQUIRED FOR THIS ENHANCEMENT.

PROJECT CREATE (COVID RECOVERY, EQUITY, AND TRAINING EXCELLENCE) - THE GUIDANCE CENTER OF WESTCHESTER (TGCW) PROPOSES TO DEVELOP PROJECT CREATE (COVID RECOVERY, EQUITY, AND TRAINING EXCELLENCE) TO SERVE 200 INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES (SED), SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMI), AND CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS (COD) WHO ARE LIVING IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY OVER THE 2-YEAR GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAM (100 EACH YEAR). WE WILL PRIORITIZE SERVICES FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS OF ALL AGES, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, AND THE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES OF YONKERS, MOUNT VERNON, AND NEW ROCHELLE. WE WILL ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS USING A COMBINATION OF COMMUNITY AND CLINIC-BASED SERVICES AND SUPPORTS PROVIDED IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY'S HARDEST-HIT COMMUNITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SUPPORTING A NO WRONG DOOR APPROACH TO CARE. GIVEN THE DISPROPORTIONATE AND EXPANSIVE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR TARGET COMMUNITIES, WESTCHESTER COUNTY - SPECIFICALLY YONKERS, MOUNT VERNON, AND NEW ROCHELLE - IS EXPERIENCING A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (BH) CRISIS THAT OUR SYSTEM NEEDS SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS. THROUGH PROJECT CREATE, TGCW WILL BOLSTER AND EXPAND OUR EXISTING CLINICAL AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SED, SMI, AND COD OF ALL AGES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY. IN ADDITION, PROJECT CREATE WILL PROVIDE TRAINING AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TO 34 STAFF MEMBERS WORKING IN TGCW'S CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER (CCBHC) PROGRAM, WHICH IS INCLUSIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL-BASED CLINIC SITES, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THEIR SECONDARY TRAUMA AND BUILD RESILIENCY SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES. WE WILL SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING GOALS: 1. ADDRESS THE BH AND TRAUMA NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH SED AND THEIR FAMILIES IN ORDER TO PREVENT ADVERSE OUTCOMES AS THEY MOVE INTO ADULTHOOD. 2. PROVIDE BH TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI, COD, AND SED IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, PROMOTING ACCESS FOR COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING BOTH BH AND PANDEMIC STRESSES. 3. STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT TGCW'S WORKFORCE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.

RADAR COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ADDRESSING YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE

RADAR COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ADDRESSING YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE