Three Arkansas community health centers have been awarded $250,000 each to provide behavioral health services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.
The East Arkansas Family Health Center in West Memphis, Mainline Health Systems in Dermott and the Community Clinic in Springdale are among 221 health centers in 47 states that will share in $54.6 million in grants for behavioral health services, the federal agency announced.
Made available under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the funds can be used to hire mental-health professionals or add mental-health or drug- and alcohol-abuse services, according to a department news release.
Arkansas' 12 community health centers operate in areas that lack other providers or have high percentages of people who lack insurance and have health problems. Patients pay fees that vary according to income.
Community Clinic director Kathy Grisham said her health center will use the grant to expand its "integrated behavioral health program," which provides counseling to center patients.
The center will use the grant funds to expand the program's counseling staff from three to four and hire two Spanish language interpreters who will work with counselors in Springdale and Rogers.
The money also will be used to hire a social worker to monitor the patients and for psychiatric services for patients who are prescribed medication, she said.
The grant will provide funding for one year, she said.
The center also expects to receive the same amount to pay for a second year, after which the center will pick up the costs for the expanded program.
"We think the whole program is wonderful and are just excited to be able to expand it beyond what we've been able to do so far," Grisham said.
Metro on 08/01/2014