AUGUSTA – Crisis & Counseling Centers (C&C) was recently awarded a $70,000, three-year grant by HealthInfoNet.
The initiative is funded by the State of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services as part of the State Innovation Model Grant and was designed to reimburse agencies for costs associated with implementing an electronic health records system (EHR).
Crisis & Counseling Centers’ EHR was developed to lower cost, improve patients’ experience of care, and enhance health outcomes by participating with the state’s health information exchange.
Crisis & Counseling Centers is a founding member of Integrated Service Solutions of Maine (ISS), a multi-agency collaborative formed in 2004. The ISS’ major project to date was to design and build an EHR to enable integrated, cross-systems care among social service agencies and medical care providers throughout Maine.
The ISS understood the importance of synchronizing data exchange between primary and behavioral health providers early and committed itself to creating a robust EHR system.
“The ISS collaborative has enabled us to be ahead of the curve and embrace changing technology that will enhance our ability to serve our clients,” said Lynn Duby, C&C CEO.
The grant is structured around milestones, and HealthInfoNet will work closely with agencies to implement interoperability with the health information exchange.
“This is a collaborative process,” said Randy Moser, C&C’s director of development and communications. “HealthInfoNet have been very good partners, and we appreciate their guidance and a vision moving forward.”
Only 20 agencies throughout the state were selected to receive this financial support. The initiative will wrap up on Aug. 1, 2016.
Crisis & Counseling Centers is an Augusta-based nonprofit serving individuals with behavioral health needs, including substance abuse, mental health and co-occurring disorders. In addition, the agency is the sole provider of crisis services for Kennebec and Somerset counties and provides 24-hour-a-day crisis services to those in need. The agency also offers G.E.A.R. Parent Network to empower caregivers of children with behavioral health needs statewide and Maine Mothers Network for pregnant and parenting women using substances.
For more information about C&C, visit crisisandcounseling.org or call central access at 207.626.3448. If you are in crisis, call 1.888.568.1112. Visit HealthInfoNet’s website at hinfonet.org to learn more about the Maine-based, independent nonprofit. To read more about this grant opportunity, please see maine.gov/dhhs/sim/index.shtml.
