Mental Health Educator/Coordinator
To provide educational activities for a rural community to break down stigma and increase knowledge about mental illness. Develop collaborations with community agencies, churches and civic groups to assess needed services and increase availability of services including support groups, financial assistance, peer counseling. Provide liason services for patients released from hospitals to outpatient treatment.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Jennifer
Last Name
Connolly
Website URL
Country
United States
Section 2: About Your Organization
Organization Name
Stokes County Mental Health Association
Organization Website
Organization Phone
336-591-3684
Organization Address
PO Box 1143, Walnut Cove, NC
Organization Country
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name Your Project
Mental Health Educator/Coordinator
Country your work focuses on
United States
Describe Your Idea
To provide educational activities for a rural community to break down stigma and increase knowledge about mental illness. Develop collaborations with community agencies, churches and civic groups to assess needed services and increase availability of services including support groups, financial assistance, peer counseling. Provide liason services for patients released from hospitals to outpatient treatment.
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The idea is unique because it does not exist in other rural counties that face a similar lack of services, transportation issues and poverty. The idea came about in response to the high rate of suicide in county, when it became clear that there were not enough services within the county and there is a distrust of outsiders, typical to rural communities. The idea is to put a 'face' on mental health services and provide a resource the local community is familiar with and trusts to provide assistance. In addition, this position will have the ability to facilitate the provision of low-cost or free services such as support groups and peer counseling by creating a collaborative network of community agencies, churches, civic groups and other inerested individuals.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
Last year, the educator/coordinator provided eduation, awareness activities, information and referrals to 1700 individuals. Requests from community groups for information, professional training and community education have increased by 30% over last year. Nine local churches held Mental Health Sunday during Mental Health Awareness month (May) and distributed information and resources to over 2000 people. Two new support groups have begun in the county. Collaboration with local hospitals, two of which are in the neighboring county have begun so that the Mental Health Association can provide a liason (educator/coordinator) when patients who have attempted suicide are released. In this way there is someone local to follow up if there are issues with hospital referrals for follow-up counseling.
Problem
Stokes County is a geographically large, rural county with about 47,000 residents. The community was once a successful agrarian culture where tobacco farming was prevalent. Many changes have occurred since the demand for tobacco has decreased. The county suffers from one of the highest suicide rates in the state. Knowledge about mental health issues, service availability, prevention, and the need for provision of further services is limited on both a community and county governmental level. There are few services located within the county and residents are often referred out of the county for services by the local management entity, which is located in neighboring Forsyth County. This becomes a transportation, as well as a financial issue. In addition, typical rural mistrust of outsiders is a barrier as well. Many residents lack insurance or are underinsured. 9.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
Actions
The organization is taking the following steps to ensure the continued success of this project:
Continuing to establish collaborations with as many interested community agencies as possible.
Change the educator/coordinator position to full-time to accommodate the increased demand for current services and to make time available for the provision support for new services within the county.
Establish relationships with like minded agencies in other areas for the purpose of idea sharing.
Seek additional funding sources.
Establish a more active board that can provide a broader volunteer and fundraising base.
Results
We expect to see an increase in the number of community members served with the change to a full-time positions. In addition, as the educator/coordinator works with other agencies to explore and assist in creating needed services within the county, we expect that the time spent providing support for these services will also increase.
We expect that with collaboration and idea sharing the process of addressing needs for the community will be efficient and effective. In addition, with increased community awareness, the need for services will increase and the awareness of the importance of having such services available locally will also increase. We hope to gain further community support and county government support that will increase the sustainability for this project in the coming years.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Over the next three years it will take a stability of staff so that the residents of the community can become familiar and the trust can develop. Tradiionally, services in the county are offered and then discontinued when the funding stops. The community is not very trusting of mental health providers even within the community. It will take a collaboration with community agencies, churches and other interested groups to create a community that provides low-cost or free services to individuals within the community that can continue beyond grant funding or government support. The coordinator/educator will need to search for funding to continue to provide support and create additional needed services. We will need an increased volunteer base to help with additional awareness activities and provision of services.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
A lack of funding to continue to coordinate such services. In addition, turnover of staff after trust is established.
How many people will your project serve annually?
1001‐10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$1000 - 4000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
The Stokes County Mental Health Association
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
These partnerships are critical to the success of the innovation because this small rural county operates on a first name, personal basis. The more organizations we have a relationship with the more credibility we have over the issue of mental health which is highly stigmatized and there is an existing lack of trust in service providers and government agencies in regard to this. In addition, the more people who are aware of our organization and what we are trying to do, the more people will be talking about mental health. A first step to awareness and problem solving, is being able to talk about it as a community. Our collaborations with community agencies has already enabled us to organize large events and participate in others. We have held a Suicide Awareness walk, participated in numerous county wide events, held several suicide prevention trainings.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. To continue to build collaborations and community networks around mental health needs and service provision
2. Find additional funding to sustain the program.
3. Maintain a consistent presence and availability within the community.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The defining moment occurred when it became apparent that our suicide rate was not coming down, despite various efforts and community members were largely unaware of how to access needed services. It was clear that agencies do not remain in the county because of lack of utilization, generally due to lack of transportation, funds or lack of knowledge of community members. It became clear that the Stokes County Mental Health Association needed to have a visible position in place that could provide education both to community members and county leaders to expand support and knowledge about mental health issues and service availability. There also needed to be someone who could coordinate service provision efforts and do the legwork behind creating a network of free or low cost services.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
The social innovator behind this idea was a group of concerned citizens who largely comprised the board of the Stokes County mental Health Association, other interested agencies such as Healthy Carolinians of Stokes, Professionals living or practicing in the community and also consumers of mental health services.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Healthy Carolinians of Stokes
 | 191 weeks ago Patricia Breuer Moreno updated this Competition Entry. |
| 192 weeks ago Jennifer Connolly updated this Competition Entry. |
| 192 weeks ago Jennifer Connolly submitted this idea. |
