Navos has been awarded a 1.8 million dollar grant by the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Navos has been awarded a 1.8 million dollar grant by the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The award, to be funded over four years, will support and promote better primary care and behavioral health services for individuals with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders.  This award will be essential to Navos offering a comprehensive “healthcare home” where clients can receive primary care in addition to mental health treatment. By integrating care, Navos can improve prevention, early detection, and treatment of serious health issues, including chronic diseases that jeopardize the lives of our clients.

Navos will partnership with Public Health—Seattle/King County to develop and expand their offering of primary healthcare services for people with serious mental illness, resulting in improved health status. The funds are awarded and administered by SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).

“People with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders often have elevated rates of multiple chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. All too often these health conditions are made worse by lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, smoking, and by the side effects of psychotropic medications,” said Dr. David M.  Johnson, Navos Chief Executive Officer.  “Many of these health conditions are preventable through routine health promotion activities, primary care screening, monitoring, treatment and care management. Bringing needed healthcare services to patients in a coordinated and convenient way will go a long way in helping to improve health status.”

The program will be implemented through a new primary care clinic to be located in Navos new Mental Health and Wellness Center (MHWC) (text link to Campaign pages), currently under construction in Burien, Washington. The new MHWC replaces a facility in Burien which has been serving people in South King County since the mid 1980’s. The current facility is under the Third Runway at SeaTac Airport and has lost its lease, subsequently requiring the construction of the new center in order to prevent a disruption of services to thousands of clients with serious mental illness.  The first floor of the new center is now open for seeing clients. The second and third floors, including the new primary care clinic, are scheduled to be completed and open by July, 2012.