Behavioral health org seeks to expand IT-assisted care
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) will award as much as $6.7 million for three years to up to six grantees to expand their behavioral health treatment systems using technology-assisted approaches in communities that can most benefit from these types of integrated services. This program is part of SAMHSA’s strategic initiative on preventing substance abuse and mental illness.
The program enhances and expands the capacity of behavioral health care providers to reach people with behavioral health needs who have been underserved because of lack of access to treatment in their immediate community—due to transportation concerns, scarcity of treatment providers in their community and/or financial constraints, according to SAMHSA.
Approaches utilized by this program may include various technological tools such as the Internet, chat lines, videocameras, etc. Through the use of advanced technology-based treatments, clients will have the opportunity for more frequent contact with providers resulting in a decreased burden on clients and families who have limited or no access to treatment services.
The annual award per grantee amount is up to $400,000 for up to three years. Actual amounts may vary, depending on the availability of these funds and the performance of the grantees, SAMHSA stated.
Grant recipients and first-year awards are:
The program enhances and expands the capacity of behavioral health care providers to reach people with behavioral health needs who have been underserved because of lack of access to treatment in their immediate community—due to transportation concerns, scarcity of treatment providers in their community and/or financial constraints, according to SAMHSA.
Approaches utilized by this program may include various technological tools such as the Internet, chat lines, videocameras, etc. Through the use of advanced technology-based treatments, clients will have the opportunity for more frequent contact with providers resulting in a decreased burden on clients and families who have limited or no access to treatment services.
The annual award per grantee amount is up to $400,000 for up to three years. Actual amounts may vary, depending on the availability of these funds and the performance of the grantees, SAMHSA stated.
Grant recipients and first-year awards are:
- Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska, $400,000;
- Preferred Family Healthcare in Kirksville, Mo., $282,834;
- Gateway Community Services in Jacksonville, Fla., $400,000;
- Ohio Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services in Columbus, Ohio, $400,000;
- Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System in Chattanooga, Tenn., $398,444
- University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., $400,000