1. CHNA 20 Fall Meeting Conversation about Behavioral Health (BH)
Behavioral health refers to the full range of mental and emotional well-being - from the basics of how we cope with day-to-day challenges of life, to the treatment of mental illnesses, such as depression or personality disorder, as well as substance use disorder and other addictive behaviors.

2. CHNA 20 Fall Meeting Conversation about Behavioral Health
Why is a CHNA 20 Behavioral Health Initiative underway?
Regional Community Health Needs Assessments have identified BH as a priority.

3. Poor Mental Health Days
12.8%
MA value = 11.2%
10.2%
The percentage of adults who stated that their mental health was not good 15 or more days in the past month.

4. 22% of MA high school students and 16% of middle school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities*
*MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education, Health and Risk Behaviors of MA Youth, 2013, Mental Health, p. 53

5. CHNA 20 Behavioral Health Initiative
An effort to engage community conversation and foster community partnerships to complement existing behavioral health activities with a targeted action planning process.

6. Methodology for Community Conversations
CHNA 20 BH Sub-Committee and staff
Selection of cohorts and locations
Creation of Community Conversation Guide, resource brochures, and video editing
Community outreach and collaboration
Facilitators
Group participants
Initially, data was reviewed. However, the coalition felt the need for the direct voice of CHNA 20 community members to delve deeper into issues and uncover nuances related to the problem.
1. If you had to describe mental illness what would you say? If you had to describe mental wellness what would you say?
2. Where did your ideas and thoughts about mental illness and mental wellness come from?
3. Have you ever experienced someone in your life (friend, relative, and co-worker) that had a mental illness?
a. How did that friend or relative’s mental health issue affect you?
b. How did a co-worker’s mental health issue affect you?
4. What do you think are the biggest needs related to mental illness in your community? What do you think are the biggest needs for mental wellness in your community?
5. How should your community work on these needs? Who in your community should work on these needs?

7. Community Conversations
Demographics Cohorts - (1)Transitional Youth (TY) (18-26), (2) Community Members (27-59), (2) Haitian & Chinese (27-59), (1) Elders (60+) Ages Gender Ethnicity
18-26
27-40
41-59
60-70
71-80+ 9 4 27 6 11
Male
Female 12 45
Asian
Black/Haitian
White
2 + Races 13 10 32 2

8. Quantitative & Qualitative Data Sources
MA DOE
EACH Emotional Health Community Forum 5_14_16
Milton Interview Notes
Integrated Care Learning Consortium

9. Data
Our four regional hospital community assessments have identified behavioral health as a priority area, aligning with CHNA 20 findings. All utilized data sources identify the need for community BH primary prevention.

10. Community Conversation Themes

11. “When you are diagnosed,
Stigma
“When you are diagnosed,
you are an outcast”
Hull CC

12. Stigma “Mental health stigma has been identified as one of the major obstacles to accessing behavioral health resources. “ (Steward CHA: Norwood 2015, Carney 2014)
Elders, Asian, and Haitian populations feel it is taboo to discuss mental health. (Elder, Asian, Haitian CC)
“Participants noted that there is a high level of shame associated with mental illness, due to ignorance and social pressure.” (Asian CC)
“We have a tendency of relating mental illness to voodoo because of lack of education.” (Haitian CC)
Employers won’t give time off from work for employee counseling service needs (Quincy CC)

13. “I live pretty stealth, my employer doesn’t know; that’s the stigma”
Quincy CC

14. Need for Broad-Based Education
“Lack of knowledge to the public, it is out of people’s control, it is just like any other disease for example cancer. Family members do not know what to say or to do” (Quincy CC)

15. Need for Broad-Based Education SSH BH Key Issue: “Need for mental health education and substance abuse prevention programs” (SSH CA 2015 )
People need education about what mental illness is (TY, Hull, Haitian, Asian, Quincy CC)
Classes for people who know individuals with mental illness and want to know more about it (TY CC)
Education on mental health is needed for less isolation and labeling; education to recognize symptoms early and give early intervention (Hull, TY, Asian, Haitian CC)
Try to prevent the disease; educate them about places to go if they need help (Asian CC)
Better collaborative care system for all community members

16. Need for BH Resources
“Participants created a vision of people in the community who would know when and where to seek help for mental problems, and feel comfortable in going, just like they would go to South Cove Health Center for physical health problems.” (Asian CC)

17. Need for BH Resources SSH BH Key Issue: Lack of awareness of available community resources
Participants repeatedly expressed the dearth of resources in mental health services and the vacuum in people’s awareness and access to mental health services, against the backdrop of high needs for mental health resources. (Asian CC)
Resources to identify the parents that don’t realize there’s an issue so you can educate them (Hull CC)
People don’t know how access resources to help (Quincy CC)
Weekends can be tough because there are either no transportation or resources to help (TY, Hull CC)

18. Participant Suggestions
For those directly affected:
Support groups
Support by faith community
Access to nutrition, and wellness counseling
Address gaps in service on weekends
Access to gardening, art, music and /or exercise classes
Access to service animals and/or other animals

19. Participant Suggestions
For communities:
Educational events for:
Medical professionals, parents, family members, schools, employers, etc.
Billboards with positive messages
Video games with BH virtual reality for people to experience and deepen their understanding
Mentoring programs to befriend those in need
Addressing language and cultural needs

20. Next Steps
Creating a Local
Community of Action

21. CHNA 20 Fall Meeting Conversation about Behavioral Health (BH)
Thank you to :
Focus group participants
CHNA 20 BH Subcommittee
Brianne DeRosa
Brittany Burke, Regis College CHNA 20 Intern
Ariel Mack, BU Public Health CHNA 20 Intern
All our community partners!

22. Question
Based on the information presented, imagine you were tasked with designing only one key behavioral health project or intervention for your community. What would you recommend?

23. Consider the following as you prepare to report back to the group:
Who would the stakeholders be?
Who might you envision inviting to collaborate on the project/intervention?
What would you need to start implementing this project/intervention?
What challenges can you envision that might need to be solved in order to implement this project/intervention?