Integrated Behavioral Health: Assessment and Planning Grant

The goal of the Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Program is to increase access to, and improve the quality of, behavioral health services and improve health outcomes for patients presenting with behavioral health conditions whether as a singular condition or comorbid physical and behavioral health condition. FQHCs should identify sites within The Rapides Foundation Service Area (TRFSA) that would like to learn more and assess opportunities to increase access to behavioral health services through integration with their existing primary care practice. To that end, the Assessment and Planning Grant will support an assessment of the organization's current level of integration and the identification of areas for improvement at sites within TRFSA. A separate Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released for an IBH Implementation Grant in March 2022 with various opportunities to apply throughout the year. Participation in the Assessment and Planning Grant is a prerequisite to apply for the IBH Implementation Grant.

$8,000 will be awarded for participation of at least one community health center or school-based health center. If multiple centers within an organization are participating, there is an additional award of $2,000 per each additional community health center that participates and/or an additional award of $1,000 per each school-based health center that participates. These funds are to help defray the cost of participating in a Foundation-funded integrated behavioral health assessment and development of a strategic plan for improvement. Organizations should submit one comprehensive proposal with separate data for each health center within TRFSA that will participate in the process.

The primary applicant (grant fiscal agent) must meet the following requirement: 

• Grant-supported Federally Qualified Health Centers - public and private nonprofit healthcare organizations meeting criteria under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs (respectively, Sections 1861(aa)(4) and 1905(I)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act, and receive funds under Section 330, Health Center Program of the Public Health Service Act. 
• Proposed projects must be located in and serve patients in the nine-parish service area of The Rapides Foundation (Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon and Winn). Organizations that participated in earlier rounds of the IBH Assessment and Planning Grant are not eligible to participate again. They are eligible for the IBH Implementation Grant.

The Assessment and Planning Grant funding opportunity is a single-stage process. Full proposals are submitted using The Rapides Foundation's online application process only. (See link to online application in right column.) To see details of the Full Proposal requirements, refer to the Request for Proposals. Please note, this is the first funding opportunity, in a series of two, under the Integrated Behavioral Health Program. See the RFP for more details.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact The Rapides Foundation for guidance before submitting their proposal package. Contact information is located in the right column.