Following an extensive community engagement process, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (the Foundation) recently approved funding awards totaling over $3 million, as part of its Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Initiative (the Initiative). Through the Initiative, the Foundation aims to strengthen the organizational capacity of behavioral health providers in Franklin County, and to positively impact youth affected by the opioid epidemic.
“The Foundation recognizes the importance of a strong behavioral health system of care,” said Susan Beaudry, Foundation vice president. “A primary objective guiding this Initiative is to ensure more vulnerable individuals experience enhanced stability and quality of life. By funding infrastructure and addressing workforce issues, the Foundation seeks to enhance the capacity of behavioral health providers to better address the dramatic increases in demand for services in the community.”
In addition to strengthening organizational capacity, Ms. Beaudry further explained a second objective of the Initiative is to positively impact youth affected by the opioid epidemic, and to build the resiliency of area youth, so trauma is effectively addressed, and future onset of disorders are prevented.
As part of the initial phase of the Initiative, the Foundation approved funding awards as follows:
Capital Projects – $1,726,500
- CompDrug: $276,500 to expand treatment services and implement a new, partial hospitalization program.
- Directions for Youth and Families: $500,000 to build a new community center serving at-risk children and families in the Kimberly Park neighborhood on the Far East Side of Columbus.
- House of Hope: $200,000 to expand facilities to provide family reunification and counseling services to clients in long-term residential treatment and recovery housing programs.
- Maryhaven: $500,000 to create a central intake system and enable same day access to withdrawal management services.
- North Community Counseling Centers: $250,000 to open a new residential care facility on Columbus’ Near East Side for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
Technology Upgrades – $773,855
- Alvis: $191,651 to launch a telemedicine program for behavioral health services and to increase outreach to homeless individuals and those involved in the criminal justice system.
- Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS): $132,204 to link the refugee community to behavioral health services through participation in the hub program.
- St. Vincent Family Center: $375,000 to support the purchase of a new electronic health record system, allowing an increase in clients served and decrease in client wait time.
- The Buckeye Ranch: $75,000 to support a technology assessment plan for a new electronic health record system to better measure client outcomes and increase clients served.
Workforce – $400,000
Community providers identified workforce satisfaction and retention as a significant issue, impacting the continuum of care. In response to this need, the Foundation will partner with Mental Health America of Franklin County (MHAFC), to further expand delivery of its Occumetrics program. Occumetrics is an evidence-based, in-depth survey and data analysis tool to determine the unique causes of employee dissatisfaction, turnover, low morale and productivity within an organization. MHAFC will administer the Occumetrics program with each of the agencies receiving organizational capacity funding from the Foundation. In addition, Concord Counseling Services, National Church Residences and Syntero will receive support from the Foundation to participate in the Occumetrics program.
Youth Prevention and Trauma Informed Care – $175,000
- Ohio Opioid Education Alliance: $75,000 over three years to support the Don’t Live in Denial, Ohio public awareness campaign, designed to engage caregivers in preventing opioid use among youth.
- Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: $100,000 over two years for initiatives supporting grandparents raising grandchildren due to the opioid epidemic, including the GRANDcares program, a partnership of The Ohio State University College of Social Work, Franklin County Office on Aging and Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center.
Psychiatric Crisis Services Redesign – $25,000
- Central Ohio Hospital Council: $25,000 as part of a 1:1 funding matching with the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board (ADAMH) of Franklin County, Central Ohio Hospital Council and The Columbus Foundation, to support a community-wide planning process for a comprehensive center and continuum of care for adults in need of psychiatric crisis services in Franklin County
Follow the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations for updates on the Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Initiative at www.osteopathicheritage.org or www.facebook.com/osteopathicheritage