SAMHSA awards $825 million in grants to community mental health centers
The funding is meant to expand access to mental health support, which has been a particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Elva Etienne/Getty Images
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) will invest $825 million in funding to 231 Community Mental Health Centers across the country, the organization announced this week.
The funding, which comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Act of 2021, is meant to expand access to mental health and behavioral support, which has been a particular concern for Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CMHCs are community-based facilities, or groups of facilities, that provide prevention, treatment and rehabilitation mental health services. If the grant program works as intended, it will enable CMHCs to more effectively address the needs of those who have a serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness, as well as individuals with SED or SMI and substance use disorders, referred to as a co-occurring disorder.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from August 2020 through February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental healthcare need increased from 9.2% to 11.7%.
SAMHSA is requiring the 231 CMHCs to develop a behavioral health disparities impact statement no later than 60 days after receiving their grant awards; to develop a quality-improvement plan to address under-resourced populations' differences based on access, use and outcomes of service activities; and to identify methods for the development of policies and procedures to ensure adherence to the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care.
The CMHCs also must provide services that include audio and audio-visual, HIPAA-compliant telehealth capabilities; outpatient services for those with SED, SMI and COD in service areas; and trauma-informed screening, assessment, diagnosis, and patient-centered treatment planning and delivery.
They must also provide resources to address the mental health needs of CMHC staff, as well as clinical and recovery support services, such as psychosocial rehabilitation, case management services and peer support.
Allowable services under the grant include training behavioral health professionals to work with schools to address behavioral health issues for school-age youth at risk for SED, including attention to services that address the needs of children, particularly as it pertains to school reentry. The grant will also allow for providing staff training on behavioral health disparities, including for building cultural and linguistic competence and on using strategies to engage and retain diverse client populations.
Additionally, the funding will facilitate developing and implementing outreach strategies and referral pathways for vulnerable populations, such as minority populations and those residing in economically disadvantaged communities, and training and supporting peer staff to serve as members of the team to address mental health needs that may have arisen because of the pandemic – including but not limited to trauma, grief, loneliness and isolation.
Further allowable services include expanding capacity and availability of crisis beds, and expanding mobile crisis mental health services for target populations.
THE LARGER TREND
Earlier this year, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra formed a new Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. Assistant Secretary Delphin-Rittmon and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine serve as the co-chairs of this coordinating body, which comprises senior leadership from across HHS.
The BHCC's primary goal is to facilitate collaborative, transparent and action-oriented approaches to addressing HHS's behavioral health agenda.
According to data culled from March through October 2020, utilization rates have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels for some treatments, but mental health services have shown the slowest rebound.
This decline in utilization is occurring at a time when preliminary evidence shows mental health conditions have worsened nationwide. The gap in service utilization due to the PHE, particularly for mental health services, may have a substantial impact on long-term health outcomes.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
