Premera Rural Mental Health Initiative

EXPANDING ACCESS TO EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

Dr. Amritha Bhat, perinatal psychiatrist, speaking with a patient.

Poor mental health is a major public health issue, affecting millions of people in their pursuit to lead optimal emotional, social, and professional lives. Depression alone can worsen other medical conditions, often doubling over-all healthcare costs, and result in a staggering loss of productivity at work and in the home. In underserved rural areas in Washington and Alaska, a severe shortage of mental health providers compounds these problems.

The AIMS Center is partnering with Premera to support up to 30 clinics in rural Washington and Alaska to expand access to evidence-based mental health treatment. Selected clinics will receive up to $245,000 over 15 months to defray participation costs.

Cohort 1

Congratulations to the 9 primary care clinics selected through a competitive process to participate in the first cohort of the Rural Mental Health Integration Initiative! The following clinics are committed to implementing high quality, evidence-based integrated care in their rural communities:

Confluence Health | Omak, WA
Coulee Medical Center | Grand Coulee, WA
Jefferson Healthcare - Sheridan | Port Townsend, WA
Dena'ina Wellness Center | Kenai, AK
Kittitas Valley Healthcare | Cle Elum, WA
NEW Health - Colville Community Health Center | Colville, WA
PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center | Friday Harbor, WA
Petersburg Medical Center | Petersburg, AK
Sunshine Community Health Center | Talkeetna, AK

Cohort 2

We are currently accepting applications for Cohort 2. More clinics are now eligible to apply; view section 2 of the RFA for complete eligibility details. Please review all of the following information before completing any application materials.

Do you know of an organization or clinic that would be interested in this opportunity? Feel free to download and share our flyer.

Premera Cohort 2: Flyer

Request for Applications (RFA)

This document outlines the initiative scope, key components of the training and coaching process, and application requirements. Appendix A lists all ineligible zip codes. Please refer to Section 6 of the RFA to ensure you've completed all steps of the application with correct formatting.

RFA: Cohort 2
Note:
- Federally designated rural health clinics (RHCs) are eligible regardless of their zip code.
- Clinics do not need to have any patients served by Premera in order to apply.
- Organizations applying on behalf of multiple sites should submit separate applications for each site.

Application Materials

Cover Page
Behavioral Health - Primary Care Integration Assessment
CIT Appendix
Application Narrative (details in section 6 of the RFA)

Applications Due: March 31, 2020

Email complete applications to ruralmh@uw.edu
The AIMS Center will not consider any applications submitted after this deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to the below document for answers to several common inquiries.

FAQ for Applicants

Webinar

This webinar provided a summary of the training opportunity and gave attendees the chance to pose questions directly to AIMS Center experts. View the recording below.