In September 2022, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Alliant Health Solutions a three-year grant to establish a national center of excellence for building capacity in nursing facilities to care for residents with behavioral health conditions.
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) will serve as a centralized hub and national model for expanding capacity in nursing facilities to care for residents with a variety of behavioral health needs. The program will support resource development and dissemination to better serve residents with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), Substance Use Disorders (SUD), or Co-occurring Disorders (COD). Training, technical assistance, and workforce development will be provided for staff in nursing facilities.
SAMHSA expects that this program will help to: (1) strengthen and sustain effective behavioral health practices and achieve better outcomes for nursing home residents with SMI, SED, SUD, or COD; and (2) ensure the availability of evidence-based training and technical assistance addressing mental health disorder identification, treatment, and recovery support services. Training and technical assistance will also be provided to support facilities in improving care for this population.
“Alliant recognizes that mental health is an important part of someone’s overall health and well-being. Our support for the Center of Excellence Nursing Facility will provide necessary resources to support the nursing facility residents that have been diagnosed with behavioral health needs and will also increase awareness about how mental health and substance use affects millions of people and their families nationwide,” says Dennis White, President and CEO at Alliant Health Solutions.
For more information about the Center of Excellence Nursing Facility, visit nursinghomebehavioralhealth.org or contact Alliant Health Solutions at COEinfo@allianthealth.org.
