Delta Center Community of Practice Application Process Now Open

LPHI, in partnership with the Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Louisiana Primary Care Association, and Mississippi Association of Community Mental Health Centers, is pleased to announce that we will be facilitating a community of practice (CoP) in 2022 that will focus on equitable access to telehealth services. The CoP will engage behavioral health and primary care organizations in Louisiana and Mississippi that collaborate with each other to provide care to underserved communities. This CoP is part of a larger initiative – The Delta Center: Advancing Equitable Care and Payment for Telehealth in Louisiana and Mississippi.

As temporary measures to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency are in transition at the national and state levels, healthcare organizations must now determine if and how they will continue to use telehealth to reach and improve the health outcomes of the people they serve. The CoP is designed for organizations interested in growing and sustaining telehealth services in a way that complements in-person care delivery and provides equitable access.

Instructions on how to apply can be found in the “How to Apply” section below.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will increase their understanding of health equity, including how to apply the concept to their work and how health equity is related to health outcomes.
• Participants will increase the capacity of their organizations to effectively deliver telehealth beyond the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency period.
• Participants will improve access to telehealth services in an equitable manner that is aligned with the needs and circumstances of the population they serve.

Participant Organizations

CoP participants must apply as a team made up of one primary care organization and one behavioral health organization that serve the same community. There will be a total of 8 participant organizations in 4 teams: 2 in LA and 2 in MS.

This opportunity is open to organizations that have a federal or state designation that identifies them as a provider that serves underserved communities as part of the healthcare safety net. Designations may include but are not limited to Federally Qualified Health Center, Rural Health Clinic, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, Community Mental Health Center, Human Services Authority, and Local Governing Entity.

Time Commitment and Key Activities

The CoP will take place for 1 year, from March 2022 through February 2023.

We recommend that each organization identifies 1 – 2 staff members as “champions” to consistently participate in all CoP activities and lead dissemination and implementation efforts at their organizations. Other staff members may be engaged as needed for sessions and activities that apply to their specific area of work.

Anticipated time commitment (per person):  34 hours over one year

• 4 learning sessions: 90 minutes each (6 hours)
• 4 individual check-ins: 30 min each (2 hours)
• Complete 2 assessments: 1 hour each (2 hours)
• Dissemination and implementation within their organization: 2 hours/month (24 hours)

Stipend

Each participant organization within the team will receive a stipend of up to $5,000 for the one-year community of practice.

How to Apply

The application template is available for download here. Instructions for submitting a completed application are included in the downloadable template.

An informational webinar about this opportunity was held on 1/21/22. A recording of the webinar is available here.

Applications will be accepted through 2/21/22. Notices of acceptance will be sent in March.