ALBEMARLE — Monarch, which provides substance abuse and mental health assistance at its Albemarle clinic, will receive a $3.9 million grant to expand services in the area. The grant will be provided by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA.
The two-year grant is for “expanding vital services for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders through the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model in Stanly County,” according to a Monarch press release.
“Monarch is honored to receive this grant to continue our work as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic,” said Monarch President and CEO Dr. Peggy Terhune in the release. “We know that in the wake of COVID-19, the mental health needs of our communities will only increase. These services are critical, and this grant will ensure we can respond with comprehensive behavioral health care for people who need it most.”
The grant’s funds, which come from the federal CARES Act stimulus bill, will pay through April 2022.
During this two-year period, Monarch estimates that more than 2,000 patients with “serious mental illness, emotional disturbance, long-term chronic addiction, mild or moderate mental illness and substance use disorders, as well as physical health conditions” will be assisted at their 350 Pee Dee Ave. office in Albemarle.
Monarch received a SAMHSA grant in September 2018 and built an outpatient Medication-Assisted Treatment program to fight the opioid epidemic in the area. Monarch was the sole recipient of a SAMHSA grant in North Carolina that year.
With the additional federal grant through the CARES Act, Monarch says it plans to: provide support for people recently released from a hospital for mental health emergencies; provide occupational therapy services; create a “peer recovery center” to assist community patients; develop tools to treat patients with a “dual diagnosis” of mental health and substance use issues; provide HIV and hepatitis screening; and increase its community outreach and education on substance abuse and mental health issues.
“We are grateful to our federal partners for this funding, and to North Carolina legislators who continue to advocate for the CCBHC model of care at the state and federal level,” said Terhune.
Monarch, founded in 1958, supports those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders in North Carolina. More information on Monarch can be found at http://www.MonarchNC.org.