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Cassia ‘Connect' program aims to give every student access to immediate help

Sami Edge

April 14, 2021 |

Idaho Education News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho

The Connect program in Cassia, Idaho is making it easier for students experiencing mental health crises to get help. Students are able to call a phone number, which also has Spanish interpreters, where they can receive immediate crisis counseling, and set up an appointment with a local mental health professional all through the program. The Cassia County School District also pays for the first couple counseling sessions, while continuing to work with families in need of more long-term care. "Since its inception at least 538 students in the 5,400-student district have accessed Connect therapists."

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Charlotte is taking a new approach to drug cases. It could change lives.

Devna Bose

April 13, 2021 |

The Charlotte Observer |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

The Mecklenburg County district attorney stopped prosecuting non-violent, low-level drug cases to free up resources to handle a backlog of more serious cases that built up during the pandemic. The policy had the effect of freeing people from the permanent stain of a criminal conviction and offering them drug treatment as an alternative to punishment.

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Nampa's in-school therapy partnerships lead to measurable success

Sami Edge

April 13, 2021 |

Idaho Education News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Nampa, Idaho

In-school therapy is an increasingly popular mental health support in Idaho schools. Through a partnership with local agencies, therapists are available at schools and are able to set appointments with students, without students or parents having to take time out of school or work to attend. "West Middle School documented a 53% drop in behavioral incidents and a 37% drop in absences among the students who participated in therapy during the first year of the partnership, in 2017-2018."

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Deaths of Despair: The crushing toll of a pandemic in Maine's ‘forgotten county'

Barbara A. Walsh

April 11, 2021 |

The Maine Monitor |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baileyville, Maine

Police Chief Bob Fitzsimmons personally connects with residents to combat increasing suicide rates, particularly among teens. Teachers reach out to the chief if one of the town’s 330 schoolchildren misses school, and he personally visits their home. His department funded popcorn and ice-cream sundae parties, as well as a New Year’s Day gathering, to ease the difficulty of isolation during COVID-19. He ensures residents’ achievements are publicly celebrated and grieves with families during tragedies, ensuring everyone has support in the rural area where medical and mental health services are scarcer.

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Clubhouse Atlanta: Combatting Unemployment Through Community-Based Approach

Mia Watson

April 08, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

Clubhouse Atlanta provides "transitional employment" services to people whose mental health poses obstacles to finding and keeping a job. Clubhouse staff serve as intermediaries with employers, not only asking employers to hire Clubhouse members but also learning the job requirements in order to train the members themselves. Staff also fill in for members if they are out sick. By relieving employers of the risks of an unreliable or hard-to-train employee, the Clubhouse has helped members find jobs that can lead to a more stable, productive life.

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'Life After The Gunshot' Documents The Impact Of Hospital Interventions After Gun Injury, Trauma

Peter O'Dowd Allison Hagan

April 07, 2021 |

WBUR |

Radio Talk Show |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A college professor and a former stabbing victim counsel young men in the hospital soon after they are shot or stabbed. These interventions, based on trust and shared experiences, are meant to prevent repeat injuries, which are common for people with traumatic experiences. Of 116 men they've counseled, one was later murdered, one was rehospitalized, and all the rest have found safety and some measure of success in reorienting their lives -- a far better rate than was the norm at that hospital before the program started. Their work is the subject of a new documentary series, "Life After The Gunshot."

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A teen's death by suicide with her father's gun divides a small Missouri town

Kaitlin Washburn

April 07, 2021 |

The Kansas City Star |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Sedalia, Missouri

Seven teen suicides in one county over a two-year span prompted residents whose lives were touched by suicide to form DeFeet, an educational and advocacy group devoted to the message that suicide is preventable. Thanks in part to its trainings, public speakers, support groups, public education campaigns, and advocacy for gun safety, local schools now screen all students for suicide risk starting in middle school. A local health clinic now screens all patients and credits DeFeet, named for its annual 5K memorial walk, with creating "an environment where we are not as afraid to talk about suicide."

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There's a new approach to police response to mental health emergencies. Taking the police out of it

Chris James

April 02, 2021 |

CNN |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Street Crisis Response Team replaces or aids police officers in responding to calls about people in nonviolent behavioral health crises. A collaboration of the city's fire and health departments, the program puts three-person teams – social workers, paramedics, and peer counselors – on patrol to respond to calls or to look for people in crisis. The $4 million pilot project has taken 800 calls in its first four months, connecting people to the care they need without the violence that can occur when police are first responders. The city hopes to expand its hours to 24/7 soon.

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Police are often first responders to mental health crises, but tragedies are prompting change

Julianne Hill

April 01, 2021 |

ABA Journal |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

Chicago's debate over which responses to mental health crises will avoid needless police shootings and other tragedies led city council members to the CAHOOTS model. The Eugene, Ore., program sends two unarmed first responders to provide links to needed services without bringing people to jail or a hospital. This diverts about 20% of 911 calls away from police, saving the city millions and improving outcomes for people in need. A much larger city has different needs. Chicago police have crisis intervention team training. A small co-responder team of mental health professionals will be added at first.

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Translating Portugal's Approach to Drugs and Addiction

Elana Gordon

March 31, 2021 |

Undark |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Portugal

In the 20 years since Portugal decriminalized possession of personal amounts of all drugs, deaths from HIV and overdoses declined and more people take advantage of expanded drug treatment programs. Treating the country's addiction-related problems as a health concern rather than a crime has been embraced domestically and copied by other places, including most recently in the U.S. by Oregon. Portugal's experience serves in part as a cautionary tale about tailoring policies to local conditions and following through on ideals with clear, measurable approaches. Copying the program outright is not simple.

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