Atchison County Health Department wrote and was recently awarded a grant from the Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care to expand efforts to address mental health disparities caused by COVID-19.
According to a scientific brief released March 2, 2022, by the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. The WHO noted that this is a wake-up call to all countries to step up mental health services and support.
Atchison County Health Department’s mission is to provide quality services to protect, maintain, and enhance community well being by assuring conditions in which people can achieve their highest level of health and this funding will help support that.
“Atchison County Health Department is pleased to receive this grant award and put it towards closing the gap of disparity in mental health access in our underserved rural community,” said Julie Livengood, Administrator of Atchison County Health Department.
The funds will expand mental health services and implement strategies to reduce mental health disparities in Atchison County. Livengood added, “We want to ensure that access to mental health treatment is made available to all who reside in the county and are affected by COVID-19 by offering in-person and telehealth mental health services. In addition, by collaborating with mental health professionals and Certified Peer Specialists, we will boost engagement and retention rates in treatment.”
Funds will provide for:
1) Three part-time certified peer specialists (CPS) who will work in schools and the community as role models who provide support, advocate for consumers, coordinate services, provide referrals to community resources/groups, assist in support groups/trainings.
2) Three data-enabled laptops for three CPS with HIPPA/encryption software; three cell phones with unlimited data for CPS to use to reach/talk to individuals in crisis.
3) 10 data-enabled tablets/iPads for at-home telehealth counselor visits. Tablets will be checked out to schools or community members that have struggles with attending in-person sessions or have barriers with computer and internet access.
4) Travel for Certified Peer Specialists.
5) Promotion of mental health services/activities.
6) Contract with Connections Counseling and Wellness, LLC, to provide resources and educational support services to community members and provide support groups including: addiction, certified anger management, parenting education, anxiety/depression support, grief youth and adult, getting ahead in a just getting by world in conjunction with Bridges out of Poverty.
“In Atchison County, we are seeing firsthand the urgent need to expand mental health access and this grant award is relevant and pressing to those we serve. We believe these interventions will have significant impact on reducing substance abuse, anger, depression, anxiety, and other side effects of COVID-19. This will then build stronger communities by improving the individual’s mental health outlook,” said Livengood.
In addition to the mental health initiative, Atchison County Health Department will use also use the grant funds to complete a community health needs assessment. The needs assessment will be based on Missouri’s foundational public health services model that defines a minimum set of fundamental public health services and capabilities that must be available in every community in order to have a functional public health system. The health department will receive funds for HealthierMO and Ozarks Public Health Institute to execute data research and complete the assessment. Livengood noted, “Community Hospital-Fairfax completes a health assessment too, and we will have some overlap with them, but this one will be public health based and one has never been completed before and that is exciting!”
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease and Prevention of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $35,569,951 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The Atchison County Health Department has received a portion of this funding received from the Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care in the amount of $344,521 to expand efforts to address health disparities caused by COVID-19.
