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CSC becomes region's first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic

Times Leader - 1/6/2022

Jan. 5—WILKES-BARRE — Mike Hopkins, president and CEO at Children's Service Center, Wednesday said CSC and its affiliate serving adults, Robinson Counseling Center (RCC), became the region's first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

The designation was effective Jan. 1, 2022, Hopkins said.

Funded through a $3.8 million SAMHSA grant, Hopkins said the CCBHC model alleviates decades-old challenges that have led to a crisis in providing access to mental health and addiction care.

"CCBHCs have dramatically increased access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment, expanded states' capacity to address the overdose crisis and established innovative partnerships with law enforcement, schools and hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism and prevent hospital re-admissions," Hopkins said.

The population served by the CSC and RCC's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic includes adults with serious mental illness; children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances; individuals with substance use disorders; and individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The CCBHC's service region includes Luzerne and Wyoming Counties.

"Children's Service Center is one of the primary service providers for Luzerne and Wyoming Counties' public Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol system," Hopkins said. "There are three primary problems and service gaps that will be addressed by the CCBHC — insufficient access to behavioral health services; inadequate availability of evidence-based approaches; and the absence of an integrated approach to behavioral health and primary health care in the two counties. With its integrated behavioral health care model, CSC and RCC are uniquely qualified to fill these gaps."

Hopkins said the Health Resources Services Administration has designated Luzerne and Wyoming counties as health professional shortage areas. The nature of the problem to be addressed includes availability and access. He said county data show that the available services and supports needed by individuals with serious mental health or substance use challenges are nearly at capacity.

"There are a limited number of evidence-based practices," Hopkins added. "Unfortunately, even when services are available, those individuals most in need do not always access them. Several data sources illustrate the problem."

The County Coroner's Offices indicate that suicide rates are high and drug overdose deaths have risen. Data from the Centers for Disease Control show Pennsylvania to be a state most adversely affected by the opioid crisis in the U.S.Luzerne County specifically is ranked 38th of 220 counties in the nation (and the highest in the state) to be at risk of HIV and/or hepatitis C due to the opioid epidemic.

"CSC data show that the majority of individuals with substance use disorders have not had primary health care services for years," said Ron Simon, CSC's Chief Operating Officer and the CCBHC Project Director. "Clients of the new CCBHC will have access to both primary and behavioral health care with oversight from care coordinators, wellness nurses, health coaches as well as psychiatric CRNPs and MAT professionals. In total, 28 new positions have been created under the CSC's CCHBC."

Hopkins and Simon said 85% of CSC and RCC clients receive some form of medical assistance. They said the expansion will create a center with everything under one roof to make all care options more accessible for clients.

Hopkins said CSC will add 28 new positions when the treatment center opens.

On Nov. 22, CSC broke ground on the expansion project on South Franklin Street — a new three-story, 12,516-square foot, $5.5 million addition. At the ceremony, Hopkins said the outpatient clinic needs to be expanded to offset CSC's immense growth in clients served.

"This addition of space is timely for the Children's Service Center," Hopkins said. "When we built the addition to the clinic in 2018, we were serving 6,048 clients. By the end of 2022 that number is projected to be 11,383."

Hopkins added that it will surprise no one that the pandemic has created a mental health crisis. He said the need for additional space became paramount.

"The most dramatic growth has been in serving adults 18 an older," Hopkins said. "Consider that in 2016, RCC was serving under 100 adult clients. Today, that number is 4,000-plus adults served annually."

Plans for the new space include:

—Moving primary care to the first floor of the addition with a separate entrance. This move opens up the ability to be available for services seven days a week.

—Adding laboratory services to the CSC's integrated care program.

—Adding 34 offices for individual therapy and medication management.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.

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