Priority Area 1: Substance Use and Mental Health
2020-2023 ACTION STEPS
To improve mental health and decrease substance use for youth and adults, the following objectives
are recommended:
1. Increase the number of students participating in after school programming.
2. Provide prevention and early intervention services to 85% of 3rd – 12th grade Allen County students.
3. Increase by 20% the number of students and family members utilizing the Spartan Health Clinic each year.
4. Begin a pilot Employee Assistance Program with a community navigator with at least 10 small businesses, and once established, create a long-term sustainability plan.
5. Provide Mental Health First Aid training to employees at 15 unique sessions.
6. Reorganize the opioid action hub with scheduled meetings, engaged members, and action items identified.
7. Reduce the number of overdose deaths by 5%.
8. Increase the usage of free mental health screening tools available on the WeCarePeople.org website by 10% each year.
9. Provide at least 5 education sessions to key players re: the availability of Local Outreach of Suicide Survivor (LOSS) Teams and Drug Overdose Survivor Support (DOSS) teams.
SUCCESSES
- The Let’s Talk Program has been presented over 50 times and has reached over 1,500 parents with the tools to use when speaking to their children.
- The Opiate Community Action Commission has been established and is focusing on: opiate prescribing practices, adding additional detox beds, increasing medication drop box locations, Narcan initiatives, first responder fatigue, as well as prevention and education initiatives. All local physicians are screening for depression as part of a standard of care.
- Both Coleman and Mercy Health have opened detox programs providing a total of 10 beds. Over 90 patients have been served and currently over 80% are continuing treatment through outpatient recovery services.
- With pointed community action and support, Emergency Room visits due to Overdoses is seeing a dramatic decline.
GET ENGAGED
- Parents must begin talking to their kids about drugs, suicide, and encourage them
by talking about their strengths and talents www.letstalk.care. - Learn more about strategies in process by the Allen County Opiate Community Action Commission and considering joining us.
- Take a course on Mental Health First Aid – www.mhfa.care
- Put the Hope Line for information or crisis 1-800-567-4673 or text line 741741 into your phone in case you or someone you know needs to access this support network.
- Become informed about the risks of taking ANY opioid pain medication either legally prescribed or
illegally gotten.
