H79SM089072

Promoting Integrated Care in Connecticut (PIC-CT) - The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), in partnership with primary care and behavioral health treatment providers in two Connecticut communities with large populations of underserved adults with co-morbid behavioral health and medical conditions, proposes to continue promoting integrated care in Connecticut (PIC-CT) to fill major gaps both in the integration of behavioral health into primary care as well as the integration of primary care into behavioral health.

We plan to engage 1500 individuals over the course of the 5-year grant period into primary care, behavioral health care including Medication Assisted Treatment, care coordination including nurse care management, and peer health navigation services for health promotion, referrals, and support.

Connecticut has considerable momentum to implement this project. We were recipients of PIPBHC funding in 2018 and utilized it to create PIC-CT, a program that has greatly improved the lives of individuals in three of our largest cities. For over eight years we have implemented and sustained the Behavioral Health Home model, authorized under Section 2703 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This model served individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and co-occurring disorders who have Medicaid and spend in excess of $10,000 in a calendar year, typically as a result of chronic, co-morbid medical conditions.

The core services articulated in SAMHSA's NOFO perfectly align with Connecticut's CMS-approved State Plan Amendment for Health Homes. Lessons learned from BHH implementation will frame out best practices for this project.

Two urban areas have been identified that have high rates of individuals who have high Medicaid spend, a behavioral health diagnosis, and are currently not being served by an integrated model of care: Bridgeport and Waterbury.

Finally, the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has made integrated care a central focus of the department with regular conferences, trainings, and webinars dedicated to this critical issue.

The overarching goal of the project is to increase access to integrated care for individuals with substance use, mental health, and/or co-occurring disorders with a special focus on increasing health literacy, promoting health behavior change, and increasing access to medication-assisted treatment.

We will accomplish these goals by:
1) Improving integrated care;
2) Implementing evidence-based practices in the context of integrated primary and behavioral health care; and
3) Improving overall wellness and physical health status for individuals.

Through this project, we anticipate incremental improvement in health outcome indicators, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, including tobacco use. This measurement will contribute to an improvement in the overall health of people with SMIs and substance use disorders by addressing the basic risk factors related to high morbidity and mortality rates of individuals with SMIs and substance use disorders.

In addition, patients will have increased immediate access to care, reduction of health disparities, and increased services linkage through care coordination.

Connecticut Department Of Mental Health And Addiction Services

SAMHSA WAS GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS PRIORITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH ASSISTANCE (GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS) TO STATES, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF STATES, INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT PRIVATE ENTITIES. UNDER THESE SECTIONS, CSAT, CMHS AND CSAP SEEK TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDITIONS, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES AND TO ADDRESS PRIORITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ASSIST CHILDREN IN DEALING WITH VIOLENCE AND TRAUMATIC EVENTS THROUGH BY FUNDING GRANT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROJECTS. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS MAY BE FOR (1) KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION PROJECTS FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION AND THE CONDUCT OR SUPPORT OF EVALUATIONS OF SUCH PROJECTS, (2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, (3) TARGETED CAPACITY RESPONSE PROGRAMS (4) SYSTEMS CHANGE GRANTS INCLUDING STATEWIDE FAMILY NETWORK GRANTS AND CLIENT-ORIENTED AND CONSUMER RUN SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES AND (5) PROGRAMS TO FOSTER HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN, (6) COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES INTO PUBLICLY-FUNDED COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SETTINGS

93.243 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

Hartford, Connecticut 061061367 United States

Single Zip Code

Promoting Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care (SM-23-005)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 200% from $2,000,000 to $6,000,000.