GREENFIELD — An inpatient psychiatric unit. Care coordinators for people trying to overcome addiction. A comprehensive curriculum in the schools to help children learn how to deal with big feelings and prevent substance abuse later in life.
These were some of the dreams the community discussed this week during a public forum hosted by Suzanne Clifford, founder and CEO of Inspiring Transformations, a consulting firm hired by Hancock Health to assess the mental health and substance abuse needs of the community.
Clifford spent August looking at available information, which was provided by Healthy 365 and Hancock Health’s system of care, which in 2016 began organizing a task force of mental health care providers and other stakeholders to meet regularly and discuss the needs they have seen in their areas of expertise.
September and October are dedicated to meeting with community stakeholders and members of the public to learn where they think the greatest needs lie, and by November, Clifford aims to have an action plan in place and develop teams to make that action plan a reality, she said.
She will meet with some 3,000 people by the end of this effort, she said to the crowd of about 15 people gathered at the Hancock County Public Library earlier this week.
While some people gathered at the library hoped to listen and learn, others were eager to share their insights into areas where the county lacks services.
Gina Colclazier, Brandywine Community Church counseling director, said she sees people who want to get well, but who are overwhelmed and burdened — by bills, their jobs and other obligations. Hancock County needs a community of people to provide hope, a family and unconditional support to people who are struggling, she said.
The group of people liked the idea of a one-stop-shop for mental health resources, a facility where someone who is struggling can go and get the help they need. Clifford called the idea a “mental health Walmart.”
Becky Fontaine, a registered nurse, said she believes more resources should be dedicated to helping people with anxiety. In her career, she has seen a rising number of individuals who live with anxiety, she said.
Jennifer Carie, communications director for Grace Homeless Shelter, a Greenfield-based, faith-focused transitional housing effort established in 2017, said people who are leaving rehab or detox treatment for addiction disorders are in desperate need of care coordinators to work closely with them.
“A lot of people need step-by-step instruction in every step of life,” she said.
People re-entering society after a period of incarceration or time spent in a treatment center or halfway house often need intensive help navigating the health care system, getting health insurance and securing long-term treatment to help them prevent relapse, Carie said.
She said she has worked as a caseworker for such individuals in the past and knows how people in that profession can become exhausted, because the workload is often overwhelming. More employees dedicated to specialized areas, such as setting people up on Medicaid, would help prevent the loss of employees, she said.
“For care coordinators, burnout is overwhelming,” she said. “They get paid $30,000, maybe $40,000 a year to do so much.”
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Hancock Regional Hospital offers a variety of courses and events to help the community help those struggling with mental illness.
Mental Health First Aid
When: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 16
Where: Sue Ann Wortman Cancer Center conference room, Hancock Regional Hospital, 801 N. State St., Greenfield
Cost: $25
More info: Includes materials, lunch, snacks and a certificate of completion. Register by Tuesday at healthy365.in/mentalhealthtraining
"Question, Persuade, Refer" Suicide Prevention Training
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29
Where: NineStar Connect, 2243 E. Main St., Greenfield
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 29
Where: Hancock County Public Library, 900 W. McKenzie Road, Greenfield
Online: Register at healthy365.in/QPR
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