LANSING, Michigan (WLNS) – More than 40% of people in the United States in 2020 who had mental health issues did not receive the help they needed due to lack of resources. Advocates gathered at the State Capitol to meet lawmakers in hopes of securing more funding and making mental health a priority.

Vicky Mennare is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Michigan. She says the foundation “wants to do everything we can to reduce this suicide rate. And being here today is one of those things that we can do.

Advocates from their own personal experiences shared their stories with lawmakers, aiming to get them to pay for programs to help people like Jane Trestain’s son, Jake.

Trestain says, “For me personally, my son Jake died by suicide in November 2018, and after he passed I knew from the circumstances in which he died that something had to be done with public policy and that there had to be some changes made.

One thing Jane and others plan to introduce to lawmakers is transitioning The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to a three-digit number, much like dialing 911, it would be 988.

Mennare mentions that while the 10-digit number is great, “the 3-digit number 988 will be easier to remember and quicker for people who might be going through a mental health crisis.”

Statistics show that suicide is the 10^and leading cause of death in Michigan. It hits close to home for many parents who have lost their children, like Tom and Holly Ram, who lost their son to suicide.

He says “my wife Holly talks to people all the time on the phone trying to get them to understand the difficulties with a child who has a mind and how to deal with it. Because it is also a parental problem. That’s how you raise a child with depression.

Defenders like the Rams and others want everyone to know that if you need help, you can always reach out. Holly Ram goes on to say, “It’s normal not to be well. and I think most people face it. and hiding only adds to the anxiety.

If you or someone you know needs help, the suicide prevention lifeline is always open.

In Canada, only about eight percent of health research funding is devoted to women’s health. Dr. Dawn Kingston, RN Aut., Ph.D., UCalgary Nursing, Interprovincial Chair in Women’s Mental Health at Lois Hole Hospital for Women Research is working hard to bridge the gap with its digital mental health platform HOPE, Digitally deliver personalized mental health risk and symptom screening to women, as well as offer education, therapy and “next step” recommendations.

In her own way, Kingston is taking action for equality this International Women’s Day and doing her part to #BreakTheBias.

Kingston began in 2012 by asking women what they needed to improve their mental health during pregnancy and throughout postpartum. Three out of four women in her studies indicated that they preferred to manage their own mental health. As a result, Kingston envisioned the need for accessible and affordable mental health care and resources and launched the digital mental health platform HOPE in 2019, with support from a clinical network, mother and families and its chair, funded by the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation (an initiative of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation), University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing and Institute for Women’s and Children’s Health.

“We believe that self-management taps into a woman’s sense of control over her life, empowering her to make the decisions that are in her best interest,” Kingston says. “Often, women are so busy juggling the many aspects of their lives that they don’t have the time or financial resources for traditional therapy or doctor’s appointments and they prefer to be able to take action by themselves. Our HOPE digital platform enables women to access therapeutic and educational resources anytime, anywhere to improve their mental health. »

After supporting more than 4,000 pregnant and postpartum women through this unique app, Kingston says her team has found that many women still struggle with mental health issues after leaving the postpartum period. Through a five-year renewal of its chair in 2021, the app plans to provide mental health supports to women at all stages of life with all types of mental health needs, including pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, grief and loss, relationships and life challenges.

During the COVID pandemic, women’s need for mental health support has increased dramatically, Kingston says.

Women often assume responsibility for care, whether of children or the elderly. With the pandemic, women are more likely to stay home from work to homeschool their children or to take more care of their elderly parents during periods of confinement. Added to already busy lives, the pandemic has heightened stressors in women’s lives and increased the risk of anxiety and/or depression.

Sharlene RutherfordPresident and CEO of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation says: “The past two years have undoubtedly been years like no other and unfortunately we have seen that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

“However, the new research and initiatives undertaken by Dr. Kingston’s team represent an exceptionally bright ray of optimism in the field of women’s health – an area that has been vastly underresearched, underfunded and underserved. We are so proud and grateful to support Dr. Kingston and her team, and we are confident that they will continue to make tremendous strides in supporting women’s mental health.

Indeed, extensive marketing research conducted by the Kingston team reveals that there is no existing platform like HOPE that offers mental health help and resources to women.

The extended HOPE digital mental health platform, or HOPE 3.0 as it is called, is now under construction and the plan is to launch the upgrade before the end of the year. Features of HOPE 3.0 free screening, therapy and resources for women at any point in their lives so they are empowered to manage their own mental health journey.

“At the end of the day, it’s about overcoming barriers to mental health care,” says Kingston. “No country in the world has been able to provide accessible and affordable mental health care for all and this has always been one of our ambitions. I am so grateful for my chair which provides stable funding and links to others within the Alberta research community. And women in Alberta are luckier.

He was clear in his sentiment that he hopes the city will invest in physical and mental health resources.

Investing in mental health by creating a “community navigator”

Of the $1 million Karl recommends the city invest in health care of the $6 million it receives from American Rescue Plan Act funds, he would like to see investment in mental health, according to a letter he wrote to city officials.

The letter he sent to the three elected officials, the city council and the finance council “spurred healthy conversations,” Karl, president of the Waveny LifeCare network, said Monday.

Director of Social Services Bethany Zaro said “Leo’s letter provided a fruitful introduction to the many ways our city can benefit from ARPA funding.”

New Canaan has received $2.8 million and expects nearly $3 million more this year from the federal program that provides $350 billion in emergency funding to state and local governments.

“Although some of these funds have already been spent or allocated to specific projects, we are fortunate to be able to hold a public debate on how some of the remaining funds should be spent,” Karl said.

Karl would like $300,000 to support a behavioral health navigator for the next three years and $400,000 for investment in telehealth.

The demand for “mental health support due to increased stress, anxiety and addiction has never been higher,” Waveny LifeCare President and CEO Russell Barksdale said this week. .

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on health care, before that in 2018, when Karl was president of the New Canaan Community Foundation, the organization “identified behavioral health as a specific area requiring special attention. within our New Canaan community,” he said. .

Karl recommends the development of a “community navigator,” which would allow residents to find resources when faced with health issues.

Surveying the city’s resources four years ago, the foundation “identified a wide range of resources provided by many outstanding organizations, but it was not necessarily easy for anyone in need to access them quickly”, Karl said in his letter. “Through a series of focus groups and other work, the NCCF Behavioral Health Committee has outlined a series of steps that may help bridge the gap between individuals and families and available services.”

The Navigator would allow “a single point of contact familiar with the behavioral health field and all of the various organizations and services available,” the letter says. “From the young to the elderly and everyone in between, we have all been affected by the effects of this pandemic.” .

Behavioral health has been and continues to be a major focus of the city’s Department of Social Services, Zaro said. “There has definitely been an increase in requests for individual and group support.”

Telehealth, in conjunction with Silver Hill Hospital, could address behavioral health issues, with 24/7 availability, according to Karl’s vision.

The recommendations made by Karl are consistent with the requests for funds that Barksdale has made. He asked the city for ARPA funds for “the development of a telehealth and telemedicine technology platform that can be used by health care providers throughout New Canaan.”

Barksdale said “one platform for all of these providers is the most cost-effective solution to building better access to healthcare for years to come.”

Karl raised concerns about two populations in particular – young students and seniors.

The young students were affected “because their daily learning and their social development were significantly affected. Elderly people, both in their own homes and those residing in collective accommodation, have endured dramatic isolation and the loss of much-needed social connections,” Karl’s letter reads.

APRA Fund for Physical Health, Institute for Health Care Workers

An institute for healthcare workers at the Waveny LifeCare Network and future health testing are two of the things Karl would like to see as part of the $1million US bailout funds he recommends the city spend for health.

State and federal priorities for APRA funds “led Waveny LifeCare Network to consider ways to collaborate and address services that would improve health accessibility in collaboration with other providers,” Barksdale said. .

In the letter Karl wrote to officials, he argues that the city should spend some of the $6 million it receives from ARPA on health initiatives, including $200,000 to train certified practical nurses and nurses. home healthcare workers, with an additional $100,000 for future tests to monitor the disease. tendencies.

Barksdale explained that Governor Ned Lamont wants to “ensure that the state’s recovery efforts are directed toward transformative initiatives that would see Connecticut emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger, healthier, and ready to resume. the advances that have made the state a leader in many areas and a great place to live.

Much of the money Karl is asking for would be for programs he would expect to be administered by the Waveny Lifecare Network, which has served the city for 40 years. Karl explains that Waveny is the right organization to lead these efforts, as “the elderly population in our community continues to be most at risk with this virus and this population was the hardest hit in the early months of the pandemic. “. Waveny is also “New Canaan’s largest private employer, with over six hundred employees,” according to Karl.

nursing institute

Karl said he would also like to see investment in a nursing institute at Waveny LifeCare to make up for a shortage of nursing staff.

It would be “a unique workplace development program that will help train the next generation of highly skilled CNAs (certified nursing assistants) and home health aides for our community,” her letter says.

Barksdale hopes to “fund a training program for future nurses and home care professionals” by “addressing both the expansion of home care and pathways to higher education. Nursing is a very noble profession and one that has been hardest hit by the pandemic,” exacerbating “the pre-pandemic shortage of professional nurses.”

Karl is confident that Waveny is well positioned to achieve this goal, since “the organization’s affiliation and merger with Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County in 2021”.

This change has allowed Waveny to expand its services so that there are more nursing professionals in their network, an “expanded” home care network and a focus on community nursing, “which has helped the city ​​throughout the pandemic with testing and vaccinations,” Karl said.

Future monitoring

Karl recommends “investment in ongoing testing and trend monitoring to ensure our community continues to stay ahead of the curve.” He plans to invest in testing as methodologies evolve so the city can “adapt quickly as new variations continue to emerge.”

Testing will continue to be needed because while “defeating COVID was a laudable goal, most medical professionals realize that COVID has gone from pandemic to endemic,” Barksdale said. “The virus will continue to mutate to varying degrees, existing tests and existing vaccinations will become less effective, and early identification of these mutations” is essential.

Telehealth

Both Karl and Barksdale want to boost the use of telehealth, which offers an online connection between a nurse and people in their homes.

The pandemic has “highlighted the enormous pressure on our healthcare system, especially on doctors, nurses and hospital capacity. One bright spot has been the emergence of telehealth as a legitimate tool in our healthcare system,” Karl said.

The telehealth program would be staffed by Waveny LifeCare staff and open to New Canaan residents from the young to the elderly, with a particular focus on those with special needs, medical conditions or those over the age of 70, according to Carl.

Through the use of telehealth resources, the city could help by “preemptively addressing health issues before they escalate into a hospital visit.” Karl said.

Online health care visits “are becoming increasingly accepted by the general public, as well as health care providers, including doctors and specialists, as technology has become more advanced.”

Barksdale said he supports telehealth because it gives residents “access to wellness and affordable health care that avoids unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions also remains the best cost-effective strategy.” “.

Zaros said she trusts the ARPA Allocations Committee to “seriously seek out all submissions” and added that she is “confident that each member will consider project feasibility and the qualification guidelines of each entity requesting funds”.

Praising local community health officials, Karl said: “I hope we can invest these funds wisely in a way that will have a positive impact on the lives, well-being and health services of our residents of New Canaan”.

Help is just a phone call away.

Regardless of your age, we all face adversity in our lives. At the Jennings County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, February 24, presenters shared data regarding underserved communities in Jennings County and explained the resources their programs offer to meet those needs.

Linda Hershman, Children’s Bureau, Inc.

The Children’s Bureau is a private, non-profit organization serving children and families since 1851. Many families need help overcoming the challenges that sometimes lead to unhealthy behaviors and threaten a child’s well-being. .

The objectives of the office are to prevent, to intervene, to protect, to accompany.

They partnered with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to create the Community Partners for Child Safety (CPCS), which focus on protecting children from the intervention of the child protection system and strengthening community resources.

Secondary prevention resources offered by CPCS include providing direct services to families. These services are: parenting education, financial assistance (rent and utilities, basic needs, security), connection with local community resources, referral to long-term services, establishment of social connections, housing, childcare and benefit programs.

Of these services, the most important needs in Jennings County, according to Children’s Bureau, Inc. Assistant Director Linda Hershman, are:

• Financial aid
• Referral to long-term services (mental health)
• Lodging
• Transport

Jennings County is part of CPCS Region 14. Region 14’s headquarters are located at the Children’s Bureau, Inc. at 1531 13th Street in Columbus. For questions, contact their liaison Jennings Kayla Kimball at 317-954-4609 or [email protected]. To refer a child, visit www.childrensbureau.org/cpcs-14-referral/

Charlinda Evans, Perceptions/Drugs and Alcohol Working Group

Charlinda Evans is co-owner of Perceptions Youth, Mindfulness & Yoga studio in Vernon. Their mission is to provide underserved populations with the opportunity to seek wellness, self-care, wholeness, and healing through the practices of trauma-informed yoga, mindfulness, and art.

Evans told commissioners that adverse childhood experiences (ACE), or traumatic events that occur during childhood, are a significant challenge in Jennings County. They impact all types of people, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and gender. ACEs are common and have a lasting impact.

Chronic stress and poor mental health lead to poor physical health, impaired development, lack of academic achievement, lack of work productivity, and higher prevalence of risky behaviors, according to Evans.

Indiana was ranked 42nd in the nation for higher prevalence of mental illnesses and substance use disorders and lower rates of access to care. Indiana was also ranked 18th for adults with substance use disorders and preliminary data showed a 47% increase in overdoses in 2020 compared to 2019. Finally, Indiana ranks 7th for the highest percentage of adults reporting serious suicidal thoughts.

Evans went on to give statistics for Jennings County. JC schools are home to a high percentage of children who qualify for a free or reduced lunch (60%), abused children (21st in the state), and children living with single parents (31.7%).

50% of children removed from JC homes are due to drug addiction. 50% of the local prison population is incarcerated for a drug or alcohol related offence. 25% of JC newborns have been exposed to drugs.

Additionally, a 2021 Columbus Regional Health Survey found that JC respondents had a significantly higher rate of diagnosed depression than state and national results at 37.8%.

43% of JC respondents indicated that their life had been negatively affected by substance abuse. According to the CDC, JC is one of the nation’s 220 counties most at risk for AIDS and hepatitis epidemics due to injection drug use.

Despite these statistics and the lack of proper resources in the county, Evans says at least four major funding requests, worth more than $350,000, have been sent to Indiana counties in the last three years. months, making funds available to address substance use and/or mental health disorders, but no JC agency or nonprofit organization took advantage of these offers.

Perceptions offers certified, trauma-informed community training courses at little or no cost to everyone in the community. They also offer trauma-informed yoga for those struggling with stress, addiction, and mental health issues, as well as art classes and mindful experiences to promote overall well-being.

They are located at 139 E US Hwy 3 in Vernon. Contact 812-592-1901 or visit www.perceptionsyoga.org with any questions.

Carla Wright, Self-Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is any activity that reduces harm, which can be something as simple as wearing a seat belt and applying sunscreen.

Harm reduction for people who use/abuse substances is defined as SAMHAS and is a proactive, evidence-based approach to reducing the negative personal and public health effects of behaviors associated with alcohol and substance use. other substances at individual and community level.

“It’s public health!” said Carla Wright. Wright is a community volunteer and currently maintains two Naloxboxes in Jennings County and does community outreach for harm reduction in Country Squire Lakes. Naloboxes are self-contained boxes containing the Narcan nasal spray that are accessible 24/7 and are funded by a grant from Governor Eric Holcomb with Overdose Lifeline. They can be found at North Vernon Centerstone, CSL at the Bait Shack and will soon be available at the Wayside Inn.

Wright detailed the current harm reduction efforts she is working to provide in Jennings County.

CSL’s community outreach includes the provision of Narcan, safer-use supplies, hygiene items, treatment information, insurance navigation referrals, and HIV and hepatitis testing C, but they currently lack a safe space to perform the test.

At Jennings County Jail, Thrive Recovery coaches meet in the jail and offer referrals to inmates upon release as well as insurance navigation for coverage upon release. This had setbacks due to COVID-19.

Coming in April via Zoom, anti-stigma education will be available from Cass Botts with IU Center for Rural Engagement. The Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium also hosts an education day in June.

Wright says there are three ways to help:

• To be involved
• Learn more about substance use disorders
• Community connectivity is key

The Jennings County Drug and Alcohol Task Force meets once a month via Zoom. Wright says it’s a great way to start getting involved. She also plans to restart CSL outreach at the CSL Clubhouse, weather permitting. Those interested can contact Wright on Facebook or contact her at 812-592-1588.

The Jennings County Drug and Alcohol Task Force meets the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. via Zoom. Contact Carla for more details on Zoom.

Sue Lambor, Thrive Alliance

Sue Lamborn of Thrive Alliance explained how they work to improve lives and build community for seniors.

First, they meet the basic needs of older people. They do this by providing information about aging and people with disabilities and referrals to community resources as well as access to affordable rental housing, health and safety home repairs, planning and care management, meals delivered to homes, pre-admission screening in retirement homes, long-term care. legal services and guardianship services for adults.

Then, they maximize their independence using wellness classes, medication dispensers, early childhood interventions, transitions between care settings (hospital to home), and dementia-friendly systems .

Thrive Alliance also works to improve physical and mental health with lunch sites, tutors for foster grandparents, caregiver support and education, and volunteer relationships.

Finally, they promote community and social engagement by funding accessible transportation and home safety, hazard, and mobility improvement inspections in addition to some of the other resources mentioned above.

If you or someone you know is in need of these types of services, you can contact 866-644-6407 and ask for a Phone Options Advisor.

BJC HealthCare, the hospital system that operates Barnes-Jewish Hospital and more than a dozen others in the St. Louis area, unveiled a strategic plan on Wednesday aimed at reducing health disparities among local residents. richer and poorer in the city, especially the gap in health outcomes for blacks and whites.

BJC staff will work with organizations in the parts of St. Louis and northern St. Louis County most affected by health inequities to help people buy homes and start businesses. They will also work to provide access to healthy food, reduce infant and maternal mortality, and make schools healthier.

“I don’t want this announcement to be congratulations,” said Jason Purnell, BJC’s Vice President of Community Improvement. “We are here and we want to work with the community to achieve better results in real life.”

As one of the region’s largest healthcare providers, BJC has a responsibility to help its most vulnerable residents, he said.

Purnell is one of the authors of “For the Sake of All,” a 2014 report that outlined the severe health inequities between white and black residents in the area. The report found an 18-year difference in life expectancy between residents of northern St. Louis and those in the city’s wealthy western suburbs.

The report describes how social, geographic and economic circumstances can directly affect people’s health or illness. The strategic plan is one way to address those disparities, Purnell said.

“We know that these social and economic factors are closely linked to health outcomes,” he said. “You have to address these upstream cause health issues.”

BJC will work with school districts, food banks and financial institutions to create plans to improve the health of residents and determine how to measure their success.

New health system plans include increasing the number of doulas in clinical settings to improve black maternal health, increasing the availability of psychiatrists, counselors and social workers in schools, and increasing community participation in the production and distribution of safe food.

BJC will develop and support programs with local organizations and can also provide funding. Most of the beneficiaries will be patients at BJC Christian Hospital in northern St. Louis County, a spokeswoman said.

Some partnerships come with purse strings. For example, the health system gives local banks money to distribute in the form of business and housing loans.

Improving the financial health of communities makes sense, said Alex Fennoy, vice president of business services for the St. Louis Community Credit Union, which is part of the partnership. Many people forgo medical services to pay rent or other expenses instead.

“It’s outside the traditional box for a large healthcare organization,” he said. “But if you peel the onion a bit, it becomes much lighter.”

Five businesses, including a pest removal business and a funeral home, have already received a combined loan of $2.8 million under the program with BJC.

“One of the biggest drivers of health outcomes is the lack of financial resources,” he said. “If you don’t get funding, if you don’t have paying jobs, if you don’t have transportation, all of those things are much more difficult. You’re fighting the cycle of survival.”

BJC is also committed to hiring and promoting more black people who live in St. Louis and northern St. Louis County in its own hospitals.

But the arrangements aren’t just financial, Purnell said.

“We could have done it behind closed doors with just BJC staff, but we think we have to be intentional to make it an inclusive process and understand that we can’t improve community health without the community,” he said. he declares.

BJC officials developed the plans with the help of focus groups made up of community leaders and health workers who work in the targeted neighborhoods.

Support from a large organization like BJC can boost awareness for smaller organizations, said Jocelyn Fundoukos, director of communications for Operation Food Search, an Overland-based nonprofit that distributes free food and personal care items to local families and provides nutrition education.

The health system and food service organization worked together to provide healthy meals for people with diabetes at Christian Hospital.

“There is a real opportunity to work with a great organization like BJC,” Fundoukos said. “I think this is a great opportunity to add some kind of weight to this concept of food as medicine.”

BJC will also work with My Blooming Health Lab and the North Sarah Food Hub. The plan also calls on hospital officials to lobby state and federal lawmakers to reform SNAP qualifying requirements and use Medicaid funding to pay for doulas and school-based health services.

Follow Sarah on Twitter: @Petit_Smudge

CORTLAND, NY – The Cortland County Health Department and Guthrie Cortland Medical Center are urging county residents to participate in the Community Health Assessment Survey.

The survey results help health care officials determine the appropriate steps to meet the health needs of the community.

The 10-minute survey is anonymous, the Guthrie Clinic said.

“This really is an opportunity for community members to get involved in providing information that they feel is important,” said Nicole Anjeski, director of public health for Cortland County. “The community health assessment describes the health of the community by presenting information about health status, community health needs, resources, and current local health issues that identify target populations who might be or are at increased risk of poor health outcomes.”

The Community Health Assessment Survey is conducted every three years as part of a New York State requirement. The Cortland County Health Department and Guthrie are teaming up to “make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”

The survey is open through April 3 and is available on the Cortland County Health Department’s website or Facebook page. Guthrie will post a link and QR code on his Facebook page, The Guthrie Clinic.

The health department will also visit community events and businesses to increase survey participation. As an added benefit, residents who complete the survey will be redirected to another site for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.

People without internet access or those who need help completing the survey should call the Cortland County Health Department at (607) 756-3442, the Guthrie Clinic said.

About the Guthrie Clinic

The Guthrie Clinic is a nonprofit healthcare system located in north-central Pennsylvania and upstate New York, serving patients in a 12-county service area.

The Guthrie Clinic includes a research institute; home care/hospice; Pennsylvania hospitals in Sayre, Towanda and Troy, and New York hospitals in Cortland and Corning; as well as a multi-specialty group practice of nearly 700 providers offering 47 specialties through a network of regional offices providing primary and specialty care in 22 communities in Pennsylvania and New York.

CHICAGO — The collective trauma of seeing 13-year-old Adam Toledo shot dead in police body camera footage in March 2021 was not a new sensation for young black and brown men on the city’s West Side.

But this time, the researchers were watching. Researchers who knew exactly how they felt.

“That’s the lived experience that these young people are dealing with,” said Claudio Rivera, a pediatric psychologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University.

The research — presented recently at Lurie Children’s in hopes of raising $20 million to foster youth-led strategies on community healing and mental health improvement in Chicago — was a collaborative effort between the hospital, Voices of Youth in Chicago Education and Communities United, Chicago’s survivor-led, intergenerational, racial justice organization.

The two-year study prompted the creation of Ujima, a cohort of black and brown men aged 21 and under, who based their work on the premise that, given their experiences, young men of color are best equipped to research their own community’s experience with mental health and make recommendations for effective change.

Trained in research ethics, Ujima researchers conducted surveys, interviews and focus groups with peers on mental health. Their report found:

• Two-thirds of respondents reported facing mental health issues.

• Trauma is often normalized for young men of color;

• One in four respondents said they “feel anxious, constantly worried or extremely nervous” four or more days a week;

• The main systemic factors related to mental health are schools, jobs, racism and poverty.

• Young men of color feel that they are viewed by society through the lens of race and gender and related stereotypes, rather than seen as individuals with contributions to bring to the world around them.

Ujima, who takes her name from the Swahili word for collective work and responsibility, also made recommendations based on her research, which ranged from integrating more mental health professionals of color into the system; to transform abandoned buildings in Chicago into community centers where young people can participate in art, music and classes on topics such as coping mechanisms, leadership development and de-escalation tactics.

The data in the report will inform the holistic 10-year plan the grassroots organization and medical institution is developing with the help of a $1 million planning grant in 2021 from the Foundation’s 2030 Racial Equity Challenge. WK Kellogg.

If Chicago wins the next phase of the challenge, the plan could receive up to $20 million to complete. The awards, to be announced this summer, are to be used to develop and scale concrete ideas for transformative change in the systems and institutions that maintain racial inequality.

The study proved eye-opening, even for Ujima members whose life experiences mirrored those of their subjects.

Alexander Villegas, 20, an Albany Park resident and founder of Ujima, said he was surprised young men of color were uncomfortable seeing a counselor or therapist because they feared their story was unsure or thought the professional was only talking to them for the paycheck.

Jermal Ray, 17, another Ujima scholar and a senior at Curie Metropolitan High School, agreed.

“I’ve learned that young men of color don’t see counselors or receive mental health support for fear of being sent to a psychotic facility or that they won’t be taken seriously,” said Ray. “I got involved in this project because I know people who have gone through mental health issues, and it’s hard not being able to help them.”

Participants said they believe society sees them only through a lens of race and gender – and the stereotypes that go with it – rather than as people in their own right.

“When it comes to men of color, we’re sort of eliminating mental health,” said one participant. “When we admit that we have problems like PTSD, people will deny it. They say to us, ‘How is this possible?’ and that there is nothing wrong, so they are not helping us. But if a white person said they had it, they would treat them right away.

The study benefited from the experiences of its younger researchers, said Rivera, co-principal investigator of the Kellogg proposal.

“The demand has been there because they recognize what the need has always been,” he said. “It only further reinforces what has been the clarion call: ‘We want this. We needed this. We want better now. And we know the best. These recommendations are long overdue, but they are also within reach.

The details of the report are startling and show the benefit of giving voice to young men at the center of the research, said Dr. John Walkup, chair of Lurie’s Department of Child Psychiatry and principal investigator of the Kellogg proposal.

“Lurie Children’s has always been about young people…but we haven’t always listened to the kids in the community,” Walkup said. “I think we’ve become more aware of the voices of young people in the city of Chicago, not just about cancer and heart disease and things like that, but about racial injustice, about discrimination, and about public schools in Chicago and the mental health system, and access.

“We are creating a new dialogue, and it will continue,” he added. “We are listening and listening hard now. Even when we don’t like what they have to say, because they’re pressuring us to be better in a way we need to be better, we can deal with that.

Rivera, who has been involved in research and wellness checks through her work at Lurie Children’s, recalls the feelings shared by young people after Toledo, who was like them, from communities like theirs, was killed by a Chicago police officer almost a year ago. . The video was another thing young people were dealing with at the time, including their personal traumas and the mental shock of the pandemic.

But the research created a safe space where participants knew they could share openly and would have support.

It was having “that feeling of letting them know that this was a safe, private space to be vulnerable that this stuff emerged,” Rivera said.

Villegas and Ray want to see mental health professionals who live in or come from the neighborhoods they serve. In this way, they understand the stressors of the environment when working with young people in these communities.

As he did the research, Ray said he became more open-minded towards other young men facing different challenges.

“The research wasn’t just to learn about our situations, but how it connects to other boys of color and leads them to help themselves,” Ray said. “It gives me confidence to show myself.”

Both want change, and if Kellogg’s proposal doesn’t win, Villegas said Ujima will continue to push to raise awareness for mental health resources in black and brown neighborhoods because “the job is never done.” .

And I hope partner organizations and others in the city will continue to answer their call for change.

“I think it’s throwing down the gauntlet to a place like Lurie and others to say ‘Do you all want to listen to us?’ Rivera said, “The immediate follow-up will help demonstrate that young people in these communities are centered and validated in what they say. And that they are in fact seen as partners.”

One of the tenets of UVA Health’s mission is community and health equity. The health and well-being of members of his community, especially those who face social determinants of health, can be improved through community-based care.

With that in mind, UVA Health and its partners launched WellAWARE, a program that provides community health services to targeted neighborhoods in Central Virginia.

The UVA Health Data Science team identified and prioritized neighborhoods in need through geospatial analysis, which integrated SDOH proxies with medical record data and provided operational support to the program.

By reducing barriers to healthy living and connecting people to primary care, one of WellAWARE’s goals is to increase utilization of primary care services to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations for low acuity patients. .

Christian Wernz, Senior Data Scientist, UVA Health System, who will be discussing how to improve community outcomes using geospatial analytics at HIMSS22, explained that UVA Health Community Health Worker-based programs are pilot projects at this stage.

“We track outcomes, but the data is insufficient to assess program effectiveness,” he said. “The preliminary work we’ve done is to understand the needs of the community and focus initial program resources on the most vulnerable neighborhoods.”

He noted that information from medical records can be used at the population level to understand chronic disease prevalence and health needs.

Aggregating this data allows community health officials to gauge the level of need within a community.

“These leaders are always faced with the problem of where to focus limited resources,” Wernz said. “Having an accurate picture of health issues and needs plays a huge role in crafting the best solution for communities.”

Although health systems play a crucial role, they are not the complete solution to improving community health: collaboration with nonprofit organizations plays an important role in community health.

“We didn’t limit ourselves to medical data. In patient care, the social determinants of health play an important role in improving a patient’s health,” Wernz said. “Combining health data with the social and economic needs of the community creates an understanding that enables the collaboration of medical systems and nonprofit organizations to work together to improve the community. This is achieved by limited data sharing and interactive feedback between entities.

The UVA Health Data Science team created a system that geocodes addresses within their corporate data warehouse, allowing the team to aggregate information based on location.

This allows them to answer questions such as “how many of our patients in a given census area have diabetes?” Or which region has the highest prevalence of hypertension? And then, do these areas correspond and by how much?

“Because different neighborhoods require different types of interventions, i.e. rural versus urban, we use different measures from different regions to ensure valid and useful comparisons,” Wernz said.

Many of these data elements needed to characterize a region are available in information from the American Community Survey, which the AVU integrates and updates in its EDW.

“We can also add the Area Deprivation Index, which is hosted by the University of Wisconsin, as a component of our analysis,” he added. “This data is often used to adjust risk and improve analysis.”

Nathan Eddy is a health and tech freelancer based in Berlin.
Email the author: [email protected]
Twitter: @dropdeaded209

On Wednesday, students at Montgomery County Public Schools called for more support staff in schools, scheduling flexibility and time off to deal with mental health stressors.

County Council Member Tom Hucker and student board member Hana O’Looney led a town hall forum on Wednesday.

For months, MCPS has been trying to hire 50 social workers to address the mental health issues some students described Wednesday. O’Looney said of those 50, seven were hired.

She and Lynne Harris, a school board member on the call, said Wednesday that there is not only regional but also national demand for social workers in school systems.

“We are all fighting and competing for the same limited human capital,” O’Looney said.

Chris Cram, a spokesperson for MCPS, confirmed O’Looney’s statement in an email Wednesday – that seven social workers had been hired out of the 50 vacant positions.

“Competition and availability are important factors, since the pandemic the need for these types of services has increased dramatically,” Cram wrote.

O’Looney and other members of the Board of Education have recommended other solutions, such as funding more telehealth services.

During Wednesday’s forum, school staff members and county officials discussed mental health resources currently available to MCPS students, including people and programs.

A student asked if MCPS officials plan to budget for more social workers and school psychologists for the next budget cycle.

Harris said that since they can’t fill the current 50 positions, school district officials and county partners need to look for creative ways to help students in school every day.

“I’m really, really interested in having a really broad and open conversation, especially with our county partners,” Harris said. “To see what we can do with the resources we have in dollars, given the reality of the resources we have in people, and those two things don’t necessarily match right now.”

Students expressed other concerns about mental health. Some only identified themselves with first names.

Talia, a junior at Magruder High School – where a 15-year-old student was shot last month, allegedly by a 17-year-old student – ​​said students need more time to connect with their teachers.

Right now, too much emphasis is being placed on catching up on diminished learning from the pandemic, instead of social and emotional needs, Talia said.

“We have been locked up for almost two years. Students shouldn’t be locked in their rooms or stressed about homework all the time,” Talia said. “They should be able to have time to socialize and have a well-balanced life.”

Some students called for starting the school day later. Bradley, a senior at Walter Johnson High School, was one of them.

MCPS officials have completed a study of later start times in 2015. This study said delaying start times was a “complex issue.” He said there were benefits, including more sleep for students, but it also presented logistical challenges.

Bradley said it would be difficult to have later start times, but several health and medical institutions have recommended that school not start until 8:30 a.m.

“Sleep deprivation is linked to many of our major mental health concerns that we raise today,” he said. “It has been directly linked to many accidents, car accidents, assaults, suicides and depression. … The science has been there for years, and I think we need to focus more on it.

Some students said Wednesday that MCPS administrators have focused so much on academics that it creates an overly stressful environment and compounds existing mental health issues.

They also asked for more time for students to speak one-on-one with teachers, counselors and support staff.

Elani Bui, a first-year student at Richard Montgomery High School, said she and many students at the school currently have mental health time, which is emotional learning lessons. However, many students do not find this helpful, she added.

“Current lessons are unattractive and can intimidate people from talking about their experiences,” Bui said. “Instead of forcing students to watch YouTube videos, learning how to fight depression and anxiety, we should be given the time to actually manage our mental health.”

Steve Bohnel can be reached at [email protected]