City of Albuquerque receives $1.1M Congressional Directives grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Comprehensive behavioral health and substance abuse for gateway west shelter residents - the comprehensive behavioral health and substance use services for gateway west shelter residents project will expand access to integrated, evidence-based behavioral health and substance use disorder (sud) treatment for individuals experiencing homelessness in albuquerque, New Mexico. By embedding behavioral health services within gateway west shelter, the project will increase access to treatment, improve health outcomes, reduce behavioral health crises, and support long-term recovery. The project will serve individuals experiencing homelessness in the City Of Albuquerque, which has an estimated population of approximately 565,000 residents. Gateway west shelter serves adults experiencing homelessness, many of whom have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders and limited access to behavioral health care. During the one-year project period, the program will offer comprehensive behavioral health and substance use services to approximately 600 unduplicated individuals and will provide comprehensive behavioral health and substance use services to those individuals who agree to participate in services. The target population includes adults ages 18 and older, including approximately 15% ages 18-24, 75% ages 25–64, and 10% ages 65 and older. Participants are expected to include individuals with serious mental illness (smi), substance use disorders (sud), opioid use disorder (oud), alcohol use disorder, stimulant use disorder, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, trauma-related disorders, and other behavioral health conditions requiring coordinated treatment. Project strategies include behavioral health and substance use assessments, individual and group counseling, trauma-informed evidence-based treatment, medication-assisted treatment (mat) for opioid and alcohol use disorders, peer recovery support, relapse prevention, mobile behavioral health response and triage, intensive case management, care coordination, transportation assistance, and recovery support services that promote ongoing engagement in treatment and community-based care. Project goals are to: (1) increase access to integrated behavioral health and substance use treatment for individuals experiencing homelessness; (2) improve behavioral health and recovery outcomes through evidence-based, person-centered care; (3) reduce behavioral health crises and unnecessary emergency department and hospital utilization; and (4) strengthen recovery through coordinated clinical treatment and supportive services. Measurable objectives are to: (1) offer integrated behavioral health and substance use services to at least 600 unduplicated individuals during the project year; (2) complete comprehensive behavioral health assessments for at least 75% of participants identified as needing behavioral health services; (3) engage at least 50% of participants in ongoing behavioral health or substance use treatment within 30 days of enrollment; and (4) demonstrate improvements in participant recovery, functioning, and quality of life using standardized behavioral health outcome measures.