OMH Grants Awarded

July 27, 2011

OMH Grants to Integrate Care for Elderly Awarded

Congratulations to the winning bidders – many are ACL members.

22 Grants Awarded To Integrate Health Care for the Elderly

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has conditionally awarded 22 grants to integrate physical and behavioral health care in either behavioral health care settings (Model 1) or physical health care settings (Model 2) to assist older adults with mental health and/or substance use disorders in New York State. These awards were made as the result of a Request for Proposals (RFP) made in accordance with Section 7.41 of the Mental Hygiene Law, which calls for OMH to establish a geriatric service demonstration program.

Consistent with the RFP, the awards will be made in two phases, each with different contract starting dates:

5 Phase I Awardees With An Anticipated Contract Start Date of 9/1/11: 

• Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center – Model 1
  Interborough plans to pilot an integrated physical and behavioral healthcare program for the elderly program at its Flatbush clinic. This site has high concentrations of older Russian immigrants seeking integrated care. A bilingual Nurse Practitioner will be hired to work in collaboration with a physician to provide integrated care, which includes physical exams; health wellness groups; complex care management; integrated physical and behavioral health treatment plans; and additional services.
• Clubhouse of Suffolk – Model 1
  In collaboration with Family Residences and Essential Enterprises and the Institute for Wellness and Recovery of New Jersey, the Clubhouse of Suffolk's Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) program will operate an integrated physical and behavioral health care program for older adults aged 55 and older with a serious mental illness and/or substance abuse disorder. An MD and a Nurse Practitioner will perform on-site primary care including screening and physical exams. Peer Wellness Coach Mentors will be trained to engage members in healthy lifestyle choices, with emphasis on coaching for the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome.
• Mercy Medical Center – Model 1
  Mercy Medical Center in Garden City will renovate an onsite office to conduct physical examinations, add a Physician's Assistant to the staff along with support personnel, and reorganize existing procedures to integrate the delivery of care provided by both physical and behavioral health staff. As the newest addition to staff already well versed in the integrated delivery of care, the part-time Physician's Assistant will inform the development of treatment plans and ultimately help ensure improvement of outcomes such as medication adherence, and treatment of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and obesity.
• Flushing Hospital Medical Center – Model 1
  Flushing Hospital's mental health clinic will implement a medical home model for older adult patients who will be able to access primary care services at the mental health clinic. The clinic will hire a full-time Nurse Practitioner to serve patients that currently do not have a primary care physician. The Nurse Practitioner will focus on preventive care and the interrelationship between a patient's medical and psychiatric illnesses. A project management team, consisting of clinical staff from the Departments of Psychiatry, Addiction Services, and Ambulatory Care will implement this new primary care service designed to reduce the impact of chronic diseases that result in avoidable medical and psychiatric hospitalizations.
• Southeast Nassau Guidance Center – Model 1
  Southeast Nassau Guidance Center will hire a Nurse Practitioner with a Specialty in Gerontology and a Medical Case Manager. Operating within the model of a Person-Centered Healthcare Home, the Nurse Practitioner and other specialty staff will assess and medically monitor individuals over the age of 55 years old receiving treatment in the agency's mental health clinic. Through this project, expected positive outcomes include: health physicals completed for all program participants; improvements in medication compliance; and a substantial decrease in the medical hospitalization rate and medical emergency room visits of program participants.

17 Phase II Awardees with A Contract Start Date of July 1, 2012: 

Central New York Field Office Region

• Adirondack Medical Center – Model 2
• Cayuga Counseling Services – Model 2
• The Family & Children's Society – Model 2
  

Hudson River Field Office Region

• Bassett Medical Center – Model 2
• Hudson Valley Mental Health – Model 1

Long Island Field Office Region

• Mental Health Association of Nassau County – Model 1
  

New York City Field Office Region

• Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center – Model 2 
• Henry Street Settlement – Model 2 
• Heritage Health and Housing – Model 2
• Service Program for Older People – Model 1
• Institute for Community Living – Model 1
• Comunilife – Model 1
• Sound View Throgs Neck Community Mental Health Center – Model 1
• Coney Island Hospital – Model 1
• Union Settlement Association – Model 1
• Western New York Field Office Region
• Family Services of Chemung County – Model 2
• Monsignor Carr Institute – Model 1

http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/geriatric/

Category: ACL Updates