Henderson Behavioral Health awarded $1.6 million SAMHSA Primary Care and Behavioral Healthcare Integration Grant

Henderson Behavioral Health has been awarded a four-year, $1.6 million Primary Health/Behavioral Health Integration Grant from the Center for Mental Health Services of the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funding is specifically intended to bring primary healthcare on-site and integrated at Henderson Behavioral Health.

According to a press release, people with serious mental illnesses die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population, largely from preventable and treatable chronic health care conditions.  This grant will address this issue with the goal of improving the physical health status of adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI) who have or are at risk for co-occurring primary care conditions and chronic diseases, with the objective of supporting the triple aim of improving the health of those with SMI; enhancing the consumer's experience of care (including quality, access, and reliability); and reducing/controlling the per capita cost of care.

The program will be referred to as the HILL (Helping Individuals Live Longer) project and will include measurable outcomes that will be supported by its electronic healthcare record (EHR) for both behavioral health and primary healthcare services.

Dr. Steven Ronik, Henderson's CEO, remarked, "This is just an incredible opportunity to promote the overall health of our clients. We are so privileged to be among the few organizations, nationally to receive this highly competitive award."