Adult & Child Health Uses Grant Funds to Strengthen Child Welfare Workforce
Indianapolis, IN – Integrated healthcare and social services provider Adult & Child Health (A&C) was recently awarded $110,000 through the Department of Childrens Services (DCS) Workforce Stabilization Grant, a $30 million state-wide program offered to organizations that work with DCS to provide services to children and families. As a Licensed Child Placing Agency (LCPA), A&C provides foster home licensing, foster parent training, home based therapy, wrap around services, and family preservation services, as referred by DCS or Juvenile Probation. To address high turnover rates within the child welfare services industry, A&C plans to use awarded funds to invest in enhanced staff recruitment, training, and retention initiatives for its child welfare workforce. The need for engaged and career-oriented employees in the Indiana child welfare service environment is tremendous. The most recent Indiana KIDS COUNT Data Book, completed by Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), cites DCS as reporting 20,000 children are living in Indiana foster homes in 2022 and an additional 13,000 need, or potentially need, foster care services. Responding to this demand is no easy feat for social service provider organizations. Heavy caseloads paired with the stress of working with some of the most vulnerable members of the community often leads to burnout, and in some cases, more serious issues. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, studies show that up to 50% of child welfare workers are at high risk of secondary traumatic stress or related conditions of PTSD and vicarious trauma. With the help of DCS grant funding, A&C aims to promote sustainable, long-term child welfare careers, and support its employees’ continued commitment to the agency’s mission. In addition to a retention bonus program, A&C has launched an 18-month plan to provide child welfare team members with additional training, staff development, supportive teambuilding activities, career advancement and leadership development opportunities. Attracting and retaining qualified, skilled, and compassionate employees to deliver A&C’s child welfare services with excellence is a top priority for A&C Director of Child Welfare Services Megan Trible. “The Workforce Stabilization Grant will be used not only to support staff retention, but also to elevate and develop an elite team of Child Welfare Specialists who have a unique understanding of the barriers and hardships families face within our community.”
Preparations for NEW Behavioral Health Crisis Center Underway at Adult & Child Health
In an effort to decrease unnecessary emergency room visits and jail incarcerations, integrated healthcare provider Adult & Child Health (A&C) will use its recently awarded Vitality Grant of $500,000 to implement a Behavioral Health Crisis Center at the organization’s Indianapolis clinic. This crisis stabilization program will provide adults experiencing a mental crisis with a safe, comfortable, monitored care environment, and access to an array of mental health, addictions, and primary care services, including an on-site behavioral health prescriber. The launch of A&C’s crisis center aligns with Indiana’s plan to implement the SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) service continuum statewide. A&C was one of eight Indiana community mental health centers recently selected to serve as a proposed pilot site in the Division of Mental Health and Addictions (DMHA) application for a federal CCBHC Demonstration Project. In the CCBHC model of care, crisis centers in the community play a prominent role in assuring individuals have timely access to services when urgent needs arise. Located at 8320 Madison Avenue in Indianapolis, the new program is scheduled to open in March 2024. Services will be available to immediate walk-ins, persons brought by family or friends, and those referred by healthcare providers, mobile crisis teams, and/or law enforcement officers, who are often first on the scene when a mental health crisis occurs. Hospital emergency rooms, where patients often experience long wait times, historically have been the only available option for those experiencing a mental health crisis – most crises happen during evenings and weekends. A&C’s Behavioral Health Crisis Center will be open during these hours, providing access to care when it is most needed while alleviating pressure on local emergency rooms. “Time is always critical in a mental health crisis, and the quicker we can intervene, the better,” said Lauran Canady, Vice President of Integrated Health. “We know our hospitals are there should we need them, but this program will be a tremendous benefit for persons in need of a more appropriate level of care.” Utilizing a “Living Room” approach to assessment and stabilization, persons treated at the Crisis Center will receive individualized support and services from a peer recovery specialist, masters-level therapist, and an APRN who can prescribe medication, if necessary, in a calming therapeutic setting. Individuals also will have access to the entirety of A&C’s services, including aftercare to ensure services continue after discharge. “On behalf of Adult & Child Health, I would like to thank Mental Health America of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis for the Vitality grant that has allowed us to build a crisis receiving and stabilization program – this is a desperately needed resource in our community and one we are so grateful to be able to develop,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Negendank, A&C.
Adult & Child Plans to Join Brightli Behavioral Health System
The Boards of Directors for Indianapolis-based Adult & Child Health and Springfield, Missouri-based Brightli, Inc. have signed documents expressing the companies’ intent to create a formal partnership between the two nonprofit organizations. Under the agreement, Adult & Child Health (A&C), a state-designated Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), would join nearly a half dozen other behavioral and community health providers as member organizations of Brightli, the nation’s fourth-largest nonprofit behavioral health organization by total revenue. The partnership has been approved by each company’s board and is anticipated to be finalized in coming weeks pending regulatory approval. A public signing and press conference will be announced once the partnership closes, which is expected in early 2024. The partnership will significantly increase financial and system support resources available to Adult & Child, for the benefit of those with behavioral health needs in central Indiana. “To expand services in our communities, we need altogether new and different approaches,” said A&C President and CEO Allen Brown. “With Brightli we’ve found a tremendous partner who is willing to dream big, and I know they feel the same way about Adult & Child.” Indiana is one of 10 states selected to participate in the second round of the federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration project, beginning next year. Missouri was part of the first cohort of demonstration states in 2017; CCBHC has since become state law. In coming months, the Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addiction is expected to announce which Community Mental Health Centers will be part of the state’s first round of CCBHC demonstration agencies. “The CCBHC approach for community mental health is exactly what’s needed, and the time is now. Effective implementation and optimization of the CCBHC model truly changes the trajectory of what is possible in the behavioral health space,” Brown added. Brightli’ s existing member organizations include multiple CMHC/CCBHCs, including the second largest CCBHC in the country, Burrell Behavioral Health. In the first five years under CCBHC in Missouri, Burrell’s total revenue grew by 125%, clients served grew by 163%, and it added 1,000 employees to its statewide workforce. Dr. C.J. Davis is CEO of Brightli. Davis previously served as CEO of an Indiana CMHC from 2012 to 2017. “I have never stopped caring about Indiana or following the progress of the behavioral health industry here,” Davis said. “To be able to return, and to do so through a company with the legacy and respect that A&C carries in this community, is a dream come true. Brightli shares the commitment to mission this team lives out every day, and I am truly excited to see what we can do together.” “The fact that Indiana is such a forward-thinking state, with strong leadership at the very top, will only aid our efforts to recruit top-of-field providers to the Hoosier State,” Davis added. Upon approval, A&C will retain its board of directors and continue to operate under the Adult & Child Health name, serving its existing area of downtown Indianapolis, greater Marion and Johnson counties, and the surrounding region. As a Brightli affiliate, A&C will be positioned within a family of systems, able to receive significant resources and support from the parent organization. Adult & Child Health joins Burrell Behavioral Health, Preferred Family Healthcare, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, and other subsidiaries under the Brightli umbrella. Burrell and Preferred Family each have various subsidiaries and affiliates, providing a full behavioral health (CMHC) and community health (FQHC) continuum, including dental services, as well as significant developmental services operations. Brightli currently serves more than 100,000 individuals in four states. With the addition of A&C, Brightli would employ some 5,500 individuals with total revenue of more than $500 million. “The landscape for mental health care is changing. A&C could not be more excited to be at the forefront of that change with Brightli as our long-term partners in Indiana,” Brown said. About Adult& Child Health:Adult & Child Health, a Joint Commission accreditedcommunity mental health center and Federally Qualified Healthcare Center LookAlike (FQHC) in Central Indiana, strives for caring communitieswhere all people can live healthy, purposeful lives. Services includebehavioral health, primary care, social services, and addictions treatment, allof which are designed to provide quick, affordable, and efficient access to highquality care. Please visit adultandchild.orgfor more information. About Brightli:Brightli, Inc.’s subsidiaries include Burrell Behavioral Health (including Comprehensive Mental Health Services), Preferred Family Healthcare and Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health. While these organizations operate independently and are governed by separate board of directors, their operations and services benefit from this parent-company model, which allows them to collaborate, share resources and system supports, increase recruiting and retention efforts, increase access to specialized care, and meet the growing demand for behavioral and addiction recovery care. Alone, organizations may be able to navigate the current tumultuous healthcare environment, but we believe that together we can do so much more than survive. Our communities need us now more than ever, and by working together we are ready to answer their call for years to come. In all, Brightli member organizations total more than 5,000 employees in four states, with annual revenues of nearly $450 million.
Adult & Child Health Aims to “Rebuild Lives from the Inside Out” at Hanna Commons
Integrated healthcare provider Adult & Child Health (A&C) is working to make an impact on chronic homelessness in Marion County by providing comprehensive care services to the residents at Hanna Commons, a new 55-unit Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) facility in South Indianapolis. Chronic homelessness is experienced by members of a community who have been unhoused for a long period of time, or repeatedly, while suffering with mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, or other serious conditions. The 2023 PIT Count conducted by the Indianapolis Continuum of Care (CoC) in January reported a 130% increase in this portion of the Marion County population, and while this growth rate is alarming, a change for the better can be expected. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, PSH facilities contributed to an 8% decrease in chronic homelessness across America between 2007 and 2019. “Adult and Child is proud to be part of the collective effort to house Marion County’smost vulnerable residents,” said A&C Vice President of Behavioral Health Services Jennifer Disbro. “Our goal is to help people maintain their housing and rebuild their lives from the inside out.” Hanna Commons operates under the Housing First model whereby all A&C services are offered on a voluntary basis and are in no way tied to tenancy. This person-centric approach to care practices assertive engagement and creates a culture of support that allows the A&C Homeless and Housing Resource Team to meet residents where they are. Services include on-site therapy, case management, housing stability and engagement support and a 24/7 crisis support services; residents also have access to primary care services at an off-site A&C FQHC. The facility is a beacon of hope for many in the Indianapolis area. Upon qualification for residency at Hanna Commons, a tenant expressed their thoughts on this new project, “After years of fighting an uphill battle, it is like someone finally reached out a hand to help us reach that life-changing summit – the view is breathtaking. Now we canstart a new life.” A helping hand is exactly what the residents of Hanna Commons need, especially as the winter season approaches. The facility is currently accepting donations on site at 2880 E Hanna Avenue. Requested items include microwaves, toasters, crockpots, coffee makers, toilet paper, plungers, mops and household cleaners. Questions regarding donations can be directed to Brandi Ward at bward@adultandchild.org. Hanna Commons began as part of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Challenge, an effort to expand housing options for people experiencing homelessness in the city and was awarded $1,200,000 annually for 10 years and $1,000,000 in Housing Trust Funds by the DMD in March 2021. In addition to A&C, project partners include the City of Indianapolis, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, South Indy Quality of Life Plan, UP Development LLC, Southeast Neighborhood Development Corporation, and Upholdings Inc.
