united way of mid coast maine mental health initiative presentation to midcoast district...
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United Way of Mid Coast Maine
Mental Health Initiative
Presentation to MidcoastDistrict Coordinating Council
March 8, 2011
Key Objectives
• Raise awareness in the community about mental health issues and challenges, and• Strengthen or create relationships
amongst the providers of services.• Develop a set of short-term
recommendations that could be implemented locally, using local resources.
Description of the Project
Community Forum• 50+ Stakeholders and mental health system
participants. Surveys and Focus Groups• Mental health service providers,• Hospitals,• Schools, and• Consumers of mental health services.
Scope of the Project• Review the state of mental health services in the
region, • Identify areas of excellence.• Identify gaps and unmet needs, and• Outline longer-term systemic issues beyond the
control of this team.
Study areas
• Law Enforcement,• Youth & Education,• Community & Outpatient Services, and• Crisis & Inpatient Services.
Important Themes Emerged
• Integration of behavioral and physical health care, “Medical Home”, and EMR,• Continued improvement in lines of
communication at all levels of the system, and• Expanded access to mental health services
for early detection and intervention.
5 Areas for Immediate Action
• Support expanded Crisis Intervention Training,• Improve public awareness and reduce
stigma,• Expand use of Peer Support Services,• Explore use of non-traditional sites to reach
those not currently getting help, and• Expand case management services, possibly
using group settings.
How Our Project Improved Integration
• The process itself brought the players together and many relationships were renewed or created,• Strengthened the relationship between law
enforcement, corrections and crisis services,• Worked with Maine National Guard and
Togus Veterans Administration Center on issues unique to veterans in crisis,
How Our Project Improved Integration
• Brought school personnel and service providers together to improve communication and access to services, and• Worked with the Public Health system
including ME-CDC and the Sagadahoc Board of Health.
Lessons Learned, Challenges
• The landscape was changing as we were doing the study; this holds true today,• Don’t assume the system participants know
what the others do,• There was potential for conflict when
discussing system problems with all participants at the same table,
Lessons Learned, Challenges
• Substance abuse and mental illness are fundamentally connected, and• The stigma of mental illness is pervasive
and hard to change.
Lessons Learned, Successes
• Significant improvements in mental health services have been made and more are underway, and• 2-1-1 is a valuable resource and
enhancement of mental health listings is underway,
Lessons Learned, Successes
• A connection between the VA, National Guard, law enforcement, and mental health service providers has been created, and• Demonstrated the key leadership role law
enforcement in playing in this arena,
Lessons Learned, Successes
• Supported and strengthened regular meetings between law enforcement, crisis workers, and emergency departments,• Received $50,000 from the John T. Gorman
Foundation, and• Supported a CIT program for 15 officers in
December and another 25 next week, and
Lessons Learned, Successes
• A strong, diverse network of system participants has been created and remains active. These relationships are essential as mental health services continue to evolve and improve.
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