Coalition gets grant to improve behavioral, mental health

A multi-sector group of community partners in northern Wisconsin has been awarded first-year funding of an eight-year project toward improving behavioral health in the region.

"From a county perspective," said Jim LeDuc, director of Washburn County Health and Human Services, "I appreciate and look forward to working with local private/non-profit agencies to assist our residents with mental health issues to better achieve their outcomes.

"Mental health services and coordination have been an ongoing need identified in all our counties for years," he said, "and I am pleased this grant will allow for comprehensive planning and programming to expand services to those in need."

Reba Rice, CEO at NorthLakes Community Clinic said, "NorthLakes is thrilled to be a partner on this exciting project to find ways to address the crises we are facing in our communities related to behavioral and mental health and hopefully prevent them in the future."

The $162,754 award will support participation in the first year of an eight-year initiative that will total approximately $1.5 million.

Funding has been awarded through the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The endowment is awarding funding for 10 Community Coalitions through its Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP) and its initiative focused on community-based behavioral health.

The coalitions are dedicated to taking an upstream approach to addressing social determinants of behavioral health. Work begins in July with the first year of funding designed to support developing a learning community and project implementation plans. Year two through six funding will support implementation, and year seven and eight will go to project sustainability.

The outcomes of the project written by AHW include statewide improvement in behavioral health, improved physical health among those with behavioral health conditions, and improved prevention and healthcare resources.

The regional partners include the Northern Wisconsin Health Network (NWHN), Essentia Health, and Northland College Center for Rural Communities (CRC).

The NWHN, a new collaborative, was formed in 2015 through the support of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Planning Grant to establish a formal health collaborative in the region. The result of the first-year planning includes the Network vision of "Healthy living for all people in northern Wisconsin" with a mission of "Sharing values, leadership, common goals and ideas for improving health."

Members of the Northern Wisconsin Health Network include NorthLakes Community Clinic (primary community partner for the project), Bayfield County Health Department, Memorial Medical Center, Hayward Area Memorial Hospital, and the health and human services departments from Ashland, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

The NWHN connected with Essentia Health and Northland College Center for Rural Communities to partner together in application of this project. Project partners say they are looking forward to strengthening the group with additional regional partners as the year-one Learning Community evolves this summer.

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