Biofeedback Associates of NE FL 592642300 | Government Grant Application

Biofeedback Associates of NE FL | Application Preview

1. PROJECT COVER INFORMATION

Project Title: Keeping Community Mental Health Counseling and Biofeedback/Neurofeedback Services Accessible in Northeast Florida, with a Veteran-Informed Outreach Focus

Applicant Organization: Biofeedback Associates of NE FL

Project Director / PI: Owner-Operator, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Veteran)

Contact Information: Northeast Florida (service area)

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT

Problem / Need: Northeast Florida, like many regions, faces a persistent gap between the demand for mental health services and the availability of timely, affordable, evidence-informed care. Counseling is frequently underutilized due to stigma, and many individuals who are prescribed psychiatric medications do not receive sufficient skills-based therapy to build coping strategies, improve functioning, and reduce relapse. Families are also seeking practical, non-pharmaceutical tools for children and adolescents experiencing attention, impulse control, and regulation challenges associated with ADHD and autism spectrum conditions. Veterans and military families experience additional barriers, including concerns about confidentiality, cultural mismatch with providers, and difficulty finding clinicians who understand military-related stressors and trauma.

Target Population / Sector: The project primarily benefits residents of Northeast Florida, with focused access for (1) veterans, active-duty service members, and military families in nearby military communities, (2) children and adolescents with ADHD, autism, and related self-regulation concerns, and (3) adults and youth impacted by trauma and PTSD who need affordable options that can complement or reduce reliance on medication.

Proposed Solution: Biofeedback Associates of NE FL will maintain and expand accessible outpatient mental health counseling while keeping biofeedback and neurofeedback available as a complementary modality for well-being, self-regulation, and symptom reduction. The project will broaden insurance participation so cost is not a barrier, extend clinical capacity through longer work hours, and conduct targeted outreach to the military community led by a veteran clinician who can speak credibly to service-related needs.

Key Activities: - Expand insurance panel participation to reduce out-of-pocket costs and increase access for insured clients, including families and military-connected clients. - Increase service capacity through longer clinic hours and streamlined intake to reduce wait times and missed opportunities for care. - Implement focused outreach and education within the military community and the broader public to reduce stigma, encourage early help-seeking, and explain evidence-informed options (counseling plus biofeedback/neurofeedback).

Expected Outcomes: Clients will have improved access to counseling and skills-based care, leading to better coping, emotional regulation, and functional improvement. The community will also benefit from expanded availability of non-pharmaceutical, skills-oriented modalities, especially for youth and trauma-affected individuals, while veterans and military families will have a culturally aligned option with a provider who understands military realities.

3. STATEMENT OF NEED / PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Description: Mental health conditions are common, but access to affordable, consistent counseling remains limited. Stigma and misunderstanding often delay care until symptoms intensify. In many cases, medication adherence alone does not provide the coping skills and behavioral strategies that counseling can teach, leaving individuals and families without practical tools to manage anxiety, depression, trauma responses, attention challenges, sleep issues, and emotional dysregulation. Families of children and adolescents with ADHD and autism frequently report a need for approaches that build self-regulation and reduce impairment at home and school, particularly when side effects, preferences, or limited response make medication-only approaches less acceptable.

Who Is Affected: The impact is broad across Northeast Florida, with heightened need among veterans and military families, children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and attention-related challenges, and adults and youth with trauma exposure and PTSD-related symptoms.

Current Gaps: Several gaps are driving unmet need. First, many practices avoid insurance due to the administrative burden of credentialing and claims, leaving clients with fewer affordable choices. Second, some local options provide biofeedback or neurofeedback without integrated oversight from a licensed mental health counselor, which can limit coordination with psychotherapy, trauma treatment planning, and clinically appropriate goal-setting. Third, some counseling competitors focus on narrow service types (such as brief couples therapy) that may not meet the needs of individuals requiring ongoing trauma-informed care, pediatric behavioral support, or integrated regulation-focused modalities.

Consequences if Unaddressed: Without expanded access, community members are more likely to experience worsening symptoms, school and workplace impairment, family strain, crisis-level episodes, and increased reliance on higher-cost services such as emergency departments or inpatient stabilization. For youth, delayed intervention can contribute to academic underachievement, behavioral escalation, and reduced long-term functioning. For veterans, lack of culturally competent and accessible care can contribute to chronic PTSD symptoms, isolation, substance misuse risk, and family disruption.

4. PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Overall Goal: Sustain and expand affordable, evidence-informed outpatient mental health counseling integrated with biofeedback and neurofeedback so Northeast Florida residents, including veterans and youth, can access practical tools for symptom reduction, self-regulation, and long-term well-being.

Specific Objectives (SMART): Objective 1: Within the project period, expand insurance panel participation to increase the proportion of clients who can use in-network benefits and reduce cost barriers for counseling and integrated services.

Objective 2: Within the project period, increase appointment availability by extending clinic hours, with the goal of improving access for working adults, school-aged youth, and military families who need evening or flexible scheduling.

Objective 3: Within the project period, implement a targeted outreach and referral effort in the nearby military community to increase awareness of veteran-informed counseling and integrated biofeedback/neurofeedback options, reducing stigma and encouraging earlier engagement in care.

5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION / PROGRAM NARRATIVE

Project Overview: Biofeedback Associates of NE FL will operate as an outpatient counseling practice that integrates traditional psychotherapy with biofeedback and neurofeedback modalities for clients who benefit from skills-based regulation training. The program is designed to be accessible through insurance participation and practical scheduling, with a special emphasis on trauma/PTSD care and youth-focused support for ADHD and autism-related self-regulation challenges. The applicant will also position the practice as a veteran-informed resource, allowing military-connected clients to engage with a provider who understands military culture, service-related stress, and common barriers to help-seeking.

Approach / Strategy: The strategy is built around access, integration, and credibility. Access is improved by expanding insurance panels and increasing appointment capacity. Integration is strengthened by offering counseling together with biofeedback/neurofeedback under licensed mental health oversight, supporting coherent treatment planning rather than disconnected services. Credibility and reach are enhanced by advertising and outreach that clearly communicates veteran-informed care for the military community, which can reduce cultural barriers and increase trust.

Key Activities: - Complete credentialing and contracting processes with additional insurance carriers and improve internal billing/workflow processes to support timely reimbursement and sustainable operations. - Increase availability through longer work hours and improved scheduling to accommodate families, students, and working adults. - Conduct consistent, compliant outreach to military communities and referral sources, emphasizing confidentiality, cultural understanding, and practical outcomes for trauma, stress, sleep, attention, and emotional regulation.

Innovation / Best Practices Used: The integrated model reflects a practical best practice in outpatient care: pairing counseling (skills development, coping strategies, trauma-informed interventions, family support as appropriate) with biofeedback/neurofeedback approaches that reinforce self-regulation skills. This combination is especially relevant for clients who want to minimize reliance on pharmaceuticals, for families seeking additional tools for ADHD/autism symptom management, and for trauma-affected clients who benefit from somatic and regulation-oriented supports alongside psychotherapy.

Alignment with Grant Priorities: The project aligns with common government grant priorities focused on expanding access to behavioral health, reducing health disparities and cost barriers, increasing community-based capacity, supporting veteran and military family well-being, and strengthening early intervention for youth mental health needs.

7. TARGET POPULATION / BENEFICIARIES

Who Will Be Served: Adults, adolescents, and children in Northeast Florida seeking outpatient mental health counseling, with a deliberate focus on veterans and military families, individuals experiencing trauma/PTSD symptoms, and youth with ADHD/autism who need self-regulation tools and family-supported coping strategies.

Recruitment / Access Method: Clients will be reached through expanded insurance access, community and provider referrals, and targeted outreach in military communities. The veteran-informed positioning will be used to reduce stigma and increase comfort for military-connected clients, while broader community messaging will emphasize practical coping tools, confidentiality, and integrated options beyond medication-only approaches.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

Organization Mission: Biofeedback Associates of NE FL exists to provide accessible, client-centered mental health counseling and self-regulation modalities, including biofeedback and neurofeedback, to improve functioning, resilience, and overall well-being in the community.

Relevant Experience: The practice provides counseling with a trauma-informed focus and works closely with children and adolescents experiencing ADHD and autism-related challenges, using tools that support emotional and physiological regulation. As a veteran, the owner brings direct cultural competence for serving veterans and military families, strengthening rapport and reducing barriers to engagement.

Systems & Infrastructure: The project will be delivered through an outpatient practice model with scheduling, documentation, and insurance-panel expansion as core operational priorities. The applicant’s plan to broaden insurance participation directly supports sustainable service delivery and improved access for community members who would otherwise defer care due to cost.

11. EVALUATION PLAN

Success Measures: Success will be measured through access and service delivery indicators and client-centered outcomes commonly used in outpatient behavioral health settings. These include increased insurance-based access, increased appointment availability, reduced wait times, service utilization among military-connected clients, and client-reported improvement in coping skills and symptom management.

Data Collection Methods: Practice management data will be used to track appointment volume, scheduling availability, payer mix/insurance utilization, and referral sources (including military community outreach). Client progress can be tracked using standard clinical measures and routine outcome monitoring tools typically used in counseling settings, along with client satisfaction feedback to assess perceived benefit and barriers to care.

Reporting Frequency: Progress will be reviewed internally on a regular cadence (monthly or quarterly) to ensure the project is meeting access and outreach goals and to allow for quick operational adjustments.

14. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

Post-Grant Funding Strategy: Sustainability will be driven by a blended revenue strategy centered on expanded insurance reimbursement, consistent service utilization through increased hours, and continued community referrals. Increasing the number of insurance panels reduces reliance on self-pay clients and improves long-term stability, which in turn supports continuous community access.

Revenue or Cost Recovery: Credentialing with additional insurance carriers is intended to increase predictable reimbursement and reduce the financial barrier that often prevents clients from continuing care long enough to achieve lasting improvement. Over time, stable reimbursement supports retention of services and the ongoing availability of integrated modalities.

15. RISK MANAGEMENT

Key Risks: Administrative delays in insurance paneling can slow the timeline for expanded access. Workforce capacity is another risk given the plan to extend hours, which can contribute to burnout without careful scheduling and boundaries. Community stigma, especially among military-connected clients, can also limit participation without sustained outreach and trust-building.

Mitigation Strategies: The project will mitigate credentialing delays by prioritizing payer contracting tasks, maintaining organized documentation, and sequencing panel applications. Capacity risks will be managed through structured scheduling and phased increases in hours. Stigma-related barriers will be addressed through veteran-informed messaging, clear education on confidentiality and practical benefits, and relationship-building with referral sources in the military community and local networks.

• General Information

  Business Registration Number: 592642300

  Location: Saint Augustine, FL, United States

  Length of Operation: 14

  Number of Employees:

  Annual Gross Income:

  Annual Gross Expense:

  Open to Loans: YES

• Funding Usage

  Keep business open for mental health counseling to the community as well as biofeedback and neurofeedback available as a modality for well-being. Advertise as a veteran available to understand the needs of other veterans.

• Business Plan

  I will expand my panels to work with as many insurance agencies. Expand the knowledge base to be open to more mental health needs. Leverage advertising heavily in the military community nearby. Longer work hours. Mental health is a stigma that is under-served in most communities. The pharmaceutical adherence is not always accompanied by needed counseling so coping measures can be learned. I am invested in changing the stigma of mental illness. We work closely with children and adolescents who suffer from ADHD and autism as another modality for symptom reduction.

• Self Identified Competition

  D`arenzio Psychological Group serves mostly couples and uses Brief Therapy. Accepts tricare but no other insurances. Beaches Neurofeedback - does not accept insurance and only does biofeedback/ neurofeedback without a licensed mental health counselor on staff for oversight. Other psychotherapy groups nearby will not accept insurance because of the difficulty with getting paneled. We offer mental health counseling and the availability of biofeedback and neurofeedback to those who wish to not want to remain or use pharmaceuticals. We also take an active approach to working with children and adolescents in getting them tools to learn control of their impulses. We focus on trauma and PtSD in adults and children.

• Contact Applicant

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