Multnomah County

Fy 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Description/need: Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) Health Center Program (HCP) (H800CS00149) Proposes to Increase the Number of Patients Receiving Mental Health and Patients Receiving Treatment With Medication for Opioid Use Disorders (moud). Behavioral Health Services and Moud Will Be Added at the Mobile Clinic, Known as Wheely Mchealy, Traveling to Nine Locations Across Multnomah County and Frequently Accessed by People Experiencing Homelessness. Disproportionately High Numbers of People Experiencing Homelessness (an Estimated 5,228 Individuals in the County) Have Disabling Conditions Such as Mental Health and Substance Use Issues, Hiv/aids, and Chronic Disease. Between 2022 and 2023, MCHD HCP Saw an Increase of 550 Patients That Received Mental Health Care at One of the Seventeen Community Health Clinics, and in 2022 Multnomah County’s Fatal Overdoses Was 65% Higher Than the National Rate. With the Increased Access to Low Barrier Behavioral Health and Moud Provided at the Mobile Clinic, MCHD Expects to Increase Patient Capacity by Another 300 Patients. Proposed Services: MCHD Will Expand Staff Capacity by Hiring a Qualified Mental Health Provider and Case Manager to Add to the Team of an Onsite Nurse Practitioner, Case Manager, Dental Hygienist, and Supervisor to Integrate Behavioral Health Services Into Primary and Dental Care. Patients Will Receive Referrals for Treatment and Other Supportive Services and Be Linked to a Medical Home for Ongoing Care. the Nurse Practitioner Will Initiate Moud for Eligible Patients. the Mobile Clinic Team Will Distribute Narcan and Provide Harm Reduction Educational Materials to Registered Patients. Services at the Mobile Clinic Are Designed to Meet Patients “where They Are” and Are Culturally Responsive to Some of the Most Vulnerable Community Members Experiencing Homelessness or Residing in Transitional Housing While Awaiting Asylum. Population Served: the Population of Focus Includes Persons Living Below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, Experiencing Homelessness, in Need of Behavioral Health Services And/or Moud, and Have Not Been Linked to a Primary Medical Home. Service Area: the MCHD HCP Service Area Identification Number Is 068 in Portland, Oregon.