Positive Changes, LLC

PROJECT PURPOSE

Positive Changes is a mental health organization that provides outpatient and partial hospitalization for children and youth ages 4-17. The organization has collaborative relationships with Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Putman City, and Edmond Public Schools, with programs in each of these districts which serve children and youth throughout Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Positive Changes collaborates with OU College of Medicine providing training for the child and adult psychiatry residents and medical students. In the treatment programs, children are provided educational services through the local district and all the treatment services they would receive in a residential setting at 1/4 the cost, with an emphasis on community and family engagement. Covid-19 has severely impacted Positive Changes and our children. Our census has reduced from 290 to 184 children, with150 children waiting for treatment. Social distancing, and recruiting and retaining staff, secondary to stress and burnout, present significant barriers to providing care for our children. Our request will allow us to recruit and train staff to serve the children we have waiting for treatment, and modify our facilities to accommodate for social distancing. Within two years, the increase in our patient census will become economically self-sustaining.

EVIDENCE

None

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Positive Changes provides intensive community-based outpatient and partial hospital care to children and youth ages 4-17 in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and communities which surround Tulsa and Oklahoma City. 90 percent of our patients are Sooner Care. 20 percent are in DHS custody. Positive Changes serves children who meet criteria for residential care but with greater family and community engagement and at 25 percent of the cost. The children served by Positive Changes have been severely impacted by COVID 19. Because most come from very poor psychosocial backgrounds and chaotic families with high levels of trauma, mental illness and substance abuse, virtual education has been ineffective and for most harmful. Many of our patients are now 2 years behind in school which increases their frustration and sense of failure in the school setting. Because of difficult and chaotic psychosocial situations our children come from the loss of community associated with virtual education has increased the burden of trauma and psychiatric illness for the children we serve. In addition, program census limitations related to social distancing and staffing have and are delaying care for these vulnerable children.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Our project is designed to assist with hiring additional therapists, case managers, and nurses to allow us to accommodate the large waitlists in our Oklahoma City area and Tulsa facilities. Also, purchasing additional vans to facilitate transportation of additional clients, and remodeling to insure social distancing. Project performance will be measured by the census, which is generated on a weekly and monthly basis. Upon receiving the ARPA money and then hiring additional staff, we expect to show an increased census and decreased wait list on a regular basis. Baseline census would be the census at time of ARPA money receipt.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma