New Horizons Behavioral Health serves 8 counties in southwest central Georgia: Harris, Talbot, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Stewart, Randolph, Quitman and Clay.
The estimated total population for the eight counties in the service area at 259,514. The eight county area includes three urban counties: Muscogee (total population 189,885), Harris (total population 32,024) and Chattahoochee (total population 11,267). Thus the three urban counties account for 90% of the total service area population.
The population of the rural counties in 2010 was estimated at 26,338 (Clay, total population 3,183; Quitman, total population 2,513; Randolph, total population 7,719; Stewart, total population 6,058; and Talbot, total population 6,865).
OPEN ACCESS: Following COVID-19 Guidelines, only individuals with an appointment may enter the facilities. Individuals entering facilites will be screened for COVID-19. Please refer to our COVID Protocols Information. Please call 706-596-5500 for an Appointment. Ask about our Telehealth Options.
Our FAX Line is 706-596-5589.
Located at our headquarters at 2100 Comer Avenue in Columbus, our CENTRAL INTAKE UNIT is the first contact for many adults seeking outpatient mental health and substance abuse services within Muscogee County. Following Covid-19 protocols, please call 706-596-5500 to schedule an Intake Appointment.
Hospital discharge appointments are scheduled.
For an Intake Appointment at the Child and Adolescent Clinic, call 706-596-5500.
Child and Adolescent Clinic
2100 Comer Avenue
Columbus, GA 31904
Other Intake Locations - Call for an Appointment
Randolph/Clay Behavioral Health
90 Villa Nova Street
Cuthbert, GA 39840
229-366-0906
Harris County Behavioral Health Center -First Tuesday of the Month 9AM - 4PM
9989 GA HWY 116
Hamilton, GA 31811
706-596-5500
Talbot County Behavioral Health Center - Second Tuesday of the Month 9 AM - 4 PM.
159 Park Road
Talbotton, GA
706-570-3250
HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR INTAKE PROCESS
Please bring all required documentation including insurance card, proof of income (paystub) and photo identification documentation for the intake process.
Bring previous clinical documents, if available: hospital discharge papers, copies of previous clinical assessments or treatment notes, names and contact information for previosu providers.
Bring all current medication bottles or a list of medications and dosages.
For children and adolescents, please include IEP and/or previous psychological testing results.
The entire intake process may be two or three hours due to demand and clinical emergencies. we do our best to provide the most thorough, quality care that we can for each person we see.
For currently enrolled individuals, after hours on-call counselor may be reached at 706-575-9723
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT GOALS
New Horizons’ Performance Improvement Goals
July 2021 through June 2022
FY 2022
FY 2022 proved to be a year of growth and challenge for New Horizons. The pandemic waxed and waned, and New Horizons made many changes and adjustments in response to the changing demands.
New Horizons continued to use telehealth services (services provided over the phone or video calls) for many of our individuals receiving services, and the number of individuals attending services in person increased. Some programs that were not offering in-person services during 2020 began in-person services in 2021. Programs continue to utilize masks and safe social distancing to decrease the transmission of Covid. New Horizons follows the CDC guidelines for healthcare providers regarding Covid.
In the fall of 2021 New Horizons’ in-house pharmacy transitioned to Genoa. This has resulted in an increase in the services offered (such as vaccinations) and the pharmacy now offers physical health medications in addition to mental health medications.
The nation-wide difficulties with hiring staff and filling vacant positions has improved to a some degree, but this has continued to be a challenge for New Horizons.
New Horizons received two major grants during FY22. A federal CMHC (Community Mental Health Center) grant focuses on rebuilding staff and increasing the number of individuals served back to pre-Covid levels. A state CCBHC grant focuses on New Horizons expanding and growing to meet the requirements to be a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center. As we work toward becoming a CCBHC, we have expanded our intake hours and availability, increased the availability of integrated care (providing treatment for chronic physical health issues in addition to mental health issues) and initiated a protocol to coordinate care as our persons served are referred out to specialists and services in the community, among other changes and improvements.
Throughout the year, New Horizons continued to collect data and work toward meeting our goals for Performance Improvement. A summary of outcomes for these goals follows*:
- Overall, we did not meet our goals for the numbers of individuals served. While our numbers have increased since the early pandemic, we continue to work to bring individuals who need mental health, substance abuse and Developmental Disabilities services into our services.
- We did meet our goals for team building and training for staff members, but we continue to have a number of vacant positions. All staff members completed training on Trauma Informed Care and working with Veterans.
- Our Mental Health Supported Employment program obtained a score of Exemplary on the annual fidelity review and increased their score over the previous year.
- The Rural Rapid Rehousing program met their goal of housing individuals within 30 days of intake for the last three quarters of the fiscal year.
- For individuals entering the Midtown program, we did not meet our goal of 100% of individuals completing the required lab work within 7 days of starting treatment.
- Generation Next was successful at contacting all referrals within three days, but we did not meet the goal of increasing enrollment to 25 individuals
- Intensive Case Management met the goal of having less than 5% of enrolled individuals return to inpatient care within the first 30 days of services, but did not meet goals related to number of individuals enrolled and decreasing staff turnover.
- Intake met the goal of decreasing the number of individuals not seen on the day they present for walk-in intake.
- Utilization Management met their goal of providing each program with training at least twice during the year to decrease billing and documentation errors.
- Project Change Clubhouse met their goal of obtaining required lab work within 7 days of intake, but did not meet their goal of increasing daily attendance.
- Emerge Program met their goal of contacting referred individuals within three days, but also were unable to meet their goal to increase enrollment.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse residential programs met with goal of ensuring that 95% of individuals served have approved identification within 90 days of enrollment and have applied for appropriate entitlement programs within 30 days.
- REACH Day Treatment programs did not meet their goal of 95% “clean claims” during this period.
- In the outpatient clinic, the nursing staff met their goal of increasing productivity.
- Developmental Disabilities Services met their goal of 91% on their customer satisfaction survey.
- Developmental Disabilities Services met their goal of transferring ten tracking documents from paper to electronic version at midyear.
- Developmental Disabilities Services did their goal of improving Supported Employment Program attendance.
- Developmental Disabilities did not meet their goal for moving 3% of individuals in Pre-Vocational programs to community employment.
*Please note, this is not a complete list of goals (the complete list is 36 pages long). This is a summary providing information regarding the types of goals and outcomes.