Blue Ridge Community Health Services Inc

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

HEALTH CENTER CLUSTER

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT - CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

HEALTH CENTER CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT FUNDING

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE-IMPLEMENTATION

HEALTH CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM - ADDRESS: 220 FIFTH AVE EAST, HENDERSONVILLE, NC 28792-4377 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: KENETT MELGAR CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: (828) 692-4289 EMAIL ADDRESS: KMELGAR@BRCHS.COM WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://BRCHS.COM GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: $833,792 BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT: THE GOAL OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AND PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST TRAINING PROGRAM IS TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE BY TRAINING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS (CHW) AND PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS (PSS) TO PROVIDE IMPROVED COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTREACH AND ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WNC). TO REACH THIS GOAL, BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES, INC. WILL PARTNER WITH BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO: CREATE, ENHANCE, AND IMPLEMENT CURRICULA FOR TRAINING NEW AND UPSKILLING EXISTING CHWS AND PSS IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON-THE-JOB; EMPLOY CHWS AND PSS AS APPRENTICES; AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH) SUPPORT TO TRAINEES. IN IMPLEMENTING THESE ACTIVITIES, BRCHS AND BRCC WILL PREPARE AND CERTIFY 20 CHWS OR PSS EACH YEAR WITH THE SKILLSETS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WITH HEALTH EDUCATION, CARE COORDINATION, AND LINKAGE TO SOCIAL SUPPORTS, HEALTH CARE, AND LOCAL RESOURCES. THESE SERVICES WILL BRIDGE GAPS IN CARE FOR AT-RISK POPULATIONS INCLUDING HISPANIC/LATINX, BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN, LOW-INCOME, UNINSURED/UNDERINSURED, AND HOUSING INSECURE INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS THOSE WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, WHO FACE HIGHER RATES OF HEALTH DISPARITIES DUE TO SDOH IN WNC. BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CHWS/PSS AVAILABLE IN THE REGION, THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE WILL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH EQUITY AND LITERACY OF THESE POPULATIONS AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO CONSISTENT, QUALITY, AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE.

ARRA - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

FY 2020 EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING (ECT)

HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM

FY 2024 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE EXPANSION - THE BLUE RIDGE HEALTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXPANSION PROGRAM WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS RECEIVING SUD SERVICES, INCLUDING PATIENTS RECEIVING TREATMENT WITH MOUD BY 2400 OVER THE TWO YEAR PERIOD OF THE GRANT. THE EXPANSION WILL OCCUR IN SEVERAL AREAS: 1) HAVE REFERRALS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED BY A CARE MANAGER WHO IS ALSO A PERSON WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES, 2) CONNECT PEOPLE WITH ASSESSMENT, 3) INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING TO REDUCE THE WAITING LISTS, 4) ADD TRAINING IN THE AREAS OF EATING DISORDERS AND AUTISM, 5) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLINICIANS THAT ARE DUAL LICENSED, AND 6) COVER THE COSTS OF SUPERVISION TIME FOR INDIVIDUALS HIRED WITH PROVISIONAL LICENSES AS A MEANS OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LICENSED CLINICIANS. THE SERVICE AREA COVERED BY THIS PROGRAMMING WILL BE 8 COUNTIES IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY HEALTH (BLUE RIDGE) WILL HAVE A CARE MANAGER FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR EACH OF THE 8 COUNTIES TO ASSIST THOSE IDENTIFIED WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OR SUD AND REFERRED BY BLUE RIDGE PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. THE CARE MANAGER WILL HELP THOSE REFERRED ACCESS THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH RELATED TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE. THE INITIAL CONTACT IS A MEANS OF PROVIDING IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED. BLUE RIDGE WILL EXPAND THE CARE MANAGEMENT CURRENTLY PROVIDED AND HIRE THREE CARE MANAGERS TO COVER THREE ADDITIONAL COUNTIES .THE IMMEDIATE CONTACT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS SERVED FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OR SUD. TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASE, AN ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT CLINICIAN WILL BE HIRED. BLUE RIDGE CURRENTLY HAS A WAITING LIST FOR THOSE WHO NEED SPECIFIC OR SPECIALIZED PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, SO TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS SERVED, BLUE R IDGE WILL INCREASE THE CURRENT PART-TIME POSITION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING TO A FULL TIME POSITION. TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR INCREASED SERVICES, BLUE RIDGE WILL INCREASE TRAINING FOR SPECIALIZATIONS SUCH AS AUTISM AND EATING DISORDERS AND WORK WITH CLINICIANS TO BE DUAL-LICENSED IN VARIOUS SUBDISCIPLINES. BLUE RIDGE WILL ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES THROUGH OUR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN, SPECIFICALLY TRACKING THE PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS' REFERRALS AND TREATMENT (MEDICATION OR NOT) AND CHANGES IN THE PHQ9. BLUE RIDGE CURRENTLY HAS IN PLACE A SYSTEM TO TRACK THE REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES MADE BY CARE MANAGERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO USE THAT PROCESS TO EVALUATE THE EXPANSION OF SERVICES.

FISCAL YEAR 2023 CAPITAL ASSISTANCE FOR HURRICANE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS (CARE)

FY 2023 EXPANDING COVID-19 VACCINATION

ARRA - INCREASE SERVICES TO HEALTH CENTERS

FY 2023 BRIDGE ACCESS PROGRAM

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA) GRANTS FOR SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS CAPITAL PROGRAM

FY 2020 CORONAVIRUS SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR HEALTH CENTERS

RURAL HEALTH NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM

HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM