H79SM085578

COVID Support in Rural Appalachia (CSIRA) - The CSIRA initiative focuses on supporting and restoring the delivery of clinical services that were impacted by COVID-19. It aims to effectively address the needs of those with SED/SMI/COD located in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties in rural southern West Virginia. These counties suffer from COVID-magnified grief, trauma, overdose, poverty, poor mental health, and a broken mental hygiene process.

CSIRA will serve 1,000 clients, with 500 clients in year one and 500 clients in year two. The project goals and interventions/strategies are as follows:

1. Support/restore the delivery of clinical services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and effectively address the needs of those with SED/SMI/COD by:
- Expanding crisis services through various measures, including hiring a community crisis system evaluator to restore the crisis system and mental hygiene process.
- Hiring 8 COVID crisis community navigators to link the community with crisis resources.
- Training 9 crisis staff in grief counseling and mental health first aid.
- Hiring an assistant children's clinical services director to increase youth crisis outreach.
- Adding children's clinic FNP time to increase capacity to serve youth in crisis.

2. Empower law enforcement to serve those with SED/SMI/COD by:
- Contracting with county commissions to hire mental health deputies.
- Hiring 3 law enforcement case managers to support mental health deputies.
- Training mental health deputies and law enforcement case managers in mental health, CIT, quick response de-escalation, and Handle with Care.
- Sending CSIRA staff to the International CIT Conference.

3. Expand Southern Highland Services to address the mental health COVID fallout by:
- Expanding therapist and therapist supervision time to reduce waitlist times.
- Expanding medical provider and director time to reduce waitlist times.
- Hiring a telehealth coordinator.
- Expanding administrative capacity to facilitate increased mental health service needs.
- Training direct staff in evidence-based mental health first aid and EMDR.
- Hiring a PR coordinator to further expand knowledge of SHCMHC services into the community and reduce stigma.
- Initiating annual required LGBTQ+ trainings.

4. Support staff mental health by:
- Initiating an employee assistance program.
- Providing staff leadership training.
- Reimbursing staff for exercise memberships.
- Initiating wellness funds for directors to support specific team needs.
- Initiating a staff recognition program.

5. Improve client outcomes, including:
- Serving 1,000 clients.
- Significantly improving mental health outcomes.
- Reducing substance use and incarceration days.
- Retaining clients in treatment.
- Ensuring that disparity group clients have equal service access, use, and outcomes.

6. Sustain CSIRA services by:
- Creating a sustainability plan.
- Hiring an evaluation specialist to support data-driven service sustainability.
- Initiating an advisory board.
- Maximizing the agency EHR.

Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center

TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND TERRITORIES TO ENABLE THEM TO CARRY OUT THE STATE'S PLAN FOR PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO ADULTS WITH A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO CHILDREN WITH A SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE, MONITOR THE PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY BASED MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM, PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND THE MENTAL HEALTH PLANNING COUNCIL THAT WILL ASSIST THE STATES IN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY BASED MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.

93.958 - Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

West Virginia United States

State-Wide

Community Mental Health Centers Grant Program (SM-21-014)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/29/23 to 09/29/24.