Adult & Child Health Receives CCBHC Designation
Adult & Child Health, a leading community mental health center in Central Indiana, is thrilled to announce it has been designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). This designation is announced alongside the exciting news that Indiana was selected as one of 10 new states to join the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Program. By becoming a CCBHC, Adult & Child Health can unlock critical resources to address the growing need for mental health services in Indianapolis. This includes crisis care, improved staff recruitment and retention thanks to sustainable funding, and the ability to expand their service offerings. CCBHC will allow Adult & Child Health to offer competitive compensation and top-of-market wages, making them a more attractive workplace for qualified providers. With the rich history and commitment of Adult & Child Health to making a difference, they can achieve even greater impact through this transformation. “Indiana’s selection for the CCBHC program is a major step forward in strengthening mental health resources for residents,” said C.J. Davis, CEO, Adult & Child Health. “This designation allows us to make a significant impact by expanding access to essential mental health services in Central Indiana. We’re committed to ensuring our community members have the resources they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.” The Biden-Harris Administration announced the additional states being added to the CCBHC program earlier today. Adult & Child Health had been selected by the state to be a CCBHC if Indiana was selected, but the decision of which states would be selected to join the program had been pending until today. CCBHC is a transformational program that provides sustainable funding for designated organizations and has been shown to increase access to mental health and substance use care, reduce homelessness and substance use, decrease use of emergency rooms and hospitalizations and improve overall health outcomes. It requires that designated CCBHC organizations provide 24/7 crisis services, outpatient care within 10 business days, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, care coordination and support services, as well as other evidence-based treatments.
Adult & Child Health CEO Allen Brown Announces Retirement
Indianapolis, IN – After nine years working devotedly as the President and CEO for Indiana integrated healthcare provider Adult & Child Health (A&C), Allen Brown is set to retire at the end of March 2024. During his tenure as CEO, Brown has led A&C through many projects and positive changes that will continue to have a profound impact on the Indianapolis community and the organization’s 600 employees. Brown joined A&C in December 2014 with a vision to be the state’s leading provider of whole-person healthcare and played a crucial role in the organization’s growth as a prominent safety net organization in central Indiana. A&C started providing primary care services in 2016, earned FQHC look-alike designation in 2017, and currently operates four integrated healthcare clinics in the south Indianapolis area. A&C services have also expanded in the areas of mental health counseling, addictions treatment, and housing resources for persons experiencing homelessness. Under Brown’s leadership the organization has nearly doubled its annual revenue and has tripled the number of people served each year. Brown also championed A&C’s early adoption of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) model, which is designed to increase access to care and crisis services for the community’s most vulnerable residents. A&C has been at the forefront of this movement in the state of Indiana and was recently selected as one of eight Indiana community mental health centers to serve as a proposed pilot site in the Division of Mental Health and Addictions (DMHA) application for a federal CCBHC Demonstration Project. Additionally, A&C plans to open a Behavioral Health Crisis Center at the organization’s south Indianapolis clinic in late March of 2024. Under the CCBHC model of care, crisis centers located within the community play a prominent role in assuring individuals have timely access to services when urgent needs arise, helping to decrease unnecessary emergency room visits and jail incarcerations. “Allen is a skilled team builder and has had a knack for finding ways to help our organization achieve its goals,” said A&C Board President Tom Gaunt. “He has led our organization into a new era with a masterful vision for how we can be more effective moving forward, which is a win-win for Adult and Child and the people we serve. He will be dearly missed.” While a CEO successor has not yet been named, A&C has forged a partnership with Missouri-based Brightli, Inc. – the nation’s fourth-largest nonprofit behavioral health organization by total revenue. The partnership will significantly increase financial and system support resources available to Adult & Child Health, for the benefit of underserved persons with behavioral health and primary care needs. 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 upon partnership closing, which is expected in Spring 2024. “I am going to miss Adult and Child Health and I’m deeply grateful for the support, trust, and collaboration I’ve received. It has been an honor to serve as CEO and I know even greater things lie ahead for this remarkable organization,” said Mr. Brown.
Adult and Child Health Awarded Funding to Expand and Develop Community Mental Health Workforce
Adult and Child Health (A&C) was recently awarded $750,000 in grant funding for three years by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) to enhance the local behavioral health workforce, improve accessibility to peer recovery services, and expand professional growth and development opportunities for Adult and Child Health employees. Funds will support A&C’s efforts in two separate ways: training and certification for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) and the development of Career Pathways for A&C staff. Both initiatives link to A&C’s greater vision of cultivating equitable, caring communities, where every child, adult, and family have opportunities to live healthy, purposeful lives. The demand for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) in Indiana far exceeds the number of available staff in the workforce. CHW and CRS certification courses often have limited openings and a six month or longer waitlist, creating a significant barrier for individuals seeking certification. DMHA funding will support A&C becoming its own training site, creating an additional resource for staff and people in the community to draw upon their personal experience in mental health recovery and/or their professional work experience at A&C as they look to advance their mental health career through certification. To raise awareness and interest in CHW and CRS certification as a career option, A&C will partner with local high schools, adult education centers, and other organizations to provide information to the public. Built-in scholarship money will be made available for behavioral health technicians and recovery specialists who want to take their skills further. “At A&C, we know that our employees are our greatest asset,” said Denise Amato, Executive Vice President of Operations. “This grant funding should help us attract and connect with a new wave of compassionate, mission-driven people who are interested in pursuing a career in community mental health.” In addition to expanding the certified health workers and peer specialist workforce, the DMHA grant award will be used to fund staff engagement, recruitment, and retention initiatives in A&C’s Career Pathways program, which promotes long-term growth opportunities for employees of Adult and Child Health. DMHA grant funding will support increased staffing, mentoring, and training resources so that A&C employees have access to the tools and support needed to reach their career goals. This heightened focus on career growth and development is one of several initiatives in place to promote the well-being of Adult and Child’s workforce, including financial assistance for employee continuing education, opportunities to serve on diversity-focused taskforces, and access to health and wellness staff-led self-care groups that are supported within the organization. A&C is honored to be one of only a few selected organizations from over 90 organizations who submitted proposals for the Behavioral Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention Innovation Grant Program. Both components of A&C’s planned use for grant funding will strengthen A&C’s workforce capacity, ultimately leading to better mental health services for persons in the community. Adult & Child Health is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult and family have the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. Learn more at www.adultandchild.org.
Join A&C in Celebrating National Health Center Week August 7-11
Staff, clients, friends, and community members are all invited to celebrate National Health Center Week with A&C from August 7 through August 11 on-site and on social media. A&C will feature a different topic of focus each day, which will involve education, agency highlights, and several giveaways: Monday, August 7: Youth Healthcare Tuesday, August 8: Patient Appreciation Wednesday, August 9: Healthcare for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Thursday, August 10: Staff & Stakeholder Appreciation Friday, August 11: Minority Healthcare Rounding out the celebration will be a free community health fair on Friday, August 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 8404 Siear Terrace office. Several community partners will be participating in the event, including NAMI Indiana and InteCare. Free snacks will be provided by Market Square Popcorn, and food will be available for purchase from Taste Budz Food Truck. Entertainment and activities will be provided by Good Moves Yoga and ZeeBee Karaoke. There will also be a free, interactive photo booth by Bhatta Boom Photo Booth. National Health Center Week is an annual celebration to raise awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers, including the many innovative ways that health centers are providing high-quality health care, improving health outcomes, and narrowing health disparities. For A&C, this week is also an opportunity to strengthen local partnerships, increase community understanding of the organization’s mission and services, and ultimately encourage more folks to walk through A&C’s clinic doors on the first step of their journey toward comprehensive, compassionate healthcare.
