Gulf Region Health Outreach Program: Strengthening Community Assets and Increasing Access to Primary Care and Mental/Behavioral Health Services

This discussion provides an overview of the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP), a series of four integrated community-based projects designed to be embedded in and to complement the existing efforts undertaken by the public health community in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Attendees will learn how the region’s geography, social and physical environments contributed to program development. The session will describe the GRHOP community-based participatory approach and its application across each of the four states. The session will explore how the GRHOP identifies, addresses, and strengthens existing community assets, while highlighting the GRHOP’s unique approach of integrating projects focused on primary care, mental and behavioral health, and training a cadre of community health workers to help residents navigate the healthcare system and access needed care. Attendees will learn how the GRHOP’s evidence-based strategies augment the Affordable Care Act and facilitate the elimination of health disparities among vulnerable populations. The session will discuss the roles of health professionals and public health organizations in increasing health knowledge in communities and increasing sustainable access to high quality medical and mental and behavioral health care along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The session will also underscore the importance of communication, collaboration, and outreach when establishing linkages within and between communities and across projects and state borders.