Alert

At Family Guidance Center, we serve nine predominately rural counties. In fiscal year 2016 our staff drove more than 500,000 miles serving people in these counties.

Beyond these ongoing services, there is good news to report: Missouri is a national leader in innovative approaches to improving the quality and quantity of mental health services.

For example, Missouri was the first in the nation to develop Behavioral Healthcare Homes. A BHH is a care-coordination model for the delivery of both mental health and primary health to meet the needs of individuals with chronic health needs.

This approach had a net savings to the state of $21.3 million by improving the health of those served. At Family Guidance Center, we serve approximately 650 adults and children in our BHH program.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is a national leader in advocating for improved access and quality in mental health. In 2014, Blunt and Sen. Deborah Stabenow, D-Mich., were the primary sponsors of the Excellence in Mental Health Act. This act provided for a two-year demonstration project in which eight states from across the country were selected to participate.

Missouri was selected as one of the eight states. The goal is to show the viability of the model at the end of two years based on 21 quality measures.

In order to participate in this project, mental health centers had to meet a range of specific criteria to qualify as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Care Clinic. Family Guidance Center in St. Joseph has been approved as a CCBHC. Family Guidance Center intends to show Blunt’s initiative can be a successful model for the future.

Sen. Blunt is to be applauded for his leadership in getting this legislation passed by Congress. This act has the potential to increase access to mental health services, improve treatment and funding, and grow the mental health work force.

As a nation, state and community, it is our hope that we can follow Sen. Blunt’s example to promote excellence in mental health services, increase access and eliminate stigma.

Anyone in the region in need of immediate assistance for a behavioral health crisis can call Family Guidance Center’s 24-hour Crisis Intervention service at 888-279-8188.

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