Agency among 7 health departments in the country selected for grant funds
Officials from the Logan County Health District have announced that the agency has been selected as one of seven local health departments in the country to participate in the Strong Systems, Stronger Communities Technical Assistance Project.
The national grant program is offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of County and City Health Officials. This initiative supports local health departments in completing public health performance improvement projects through a tailored in-person and virtual training, technical assistance program and peer networking.
The seven local health departments and communities from six states were selected for this year’s SSSC grant through a competitive process.
“In our rural community, there are gaps in service and access issues for mental health that need creative solutions. Working with our community to find these solutions was our intent in applying for this opportunity,” Donna Peachey, deputy health commissioner, said in a release.
Through the training and technical assistance, these sites will work to address the social causes of health and health fairness by accelerating progress on the implementation of their community health improvement plan.
Each team will hold a workshop with their communities, during which they will identify, design and test solutions to make advancements in a short period of time.
As the deputy health commissioner related, the Logan County Health District plans to use this opportunity to engage faith-based and social-minded groups to work with mental health professionals to explore new ways to bridge gaps in mental health services.
“Rural counties traditionally have less access to mental health services, which holds true in Logan County. Isolation is a strong factor in depression, suicide and other mental health concerns. The goal will be to reduce social isolation by building a support system infrastructure through mentors and peer to peer support. It is also widely understood that poverty increases stress, depression and anxiety.
“Having someone walking alongside can restore hope. Faith communities exist in every corner of the county and are usually accessible to all people where transportation could be an issue,” LCHD officials said.
Those interested in participating in the spring of 2020 should contact Peachey at (937) 651-6217 or [email protected].
In addition, two representatives from the LCHD will attend a training workshop March 3 and 4 in Washington, D.C., where they will network with other selected communities and build skills in public health performance improvement, design thinking and community engagement.
The seven communities will continue to receive virtual training and technical assistance and participate in peer learning through July 31 to accomplish their project goals.
Visit the NACCHO SSSC website for more information on the SSSC program, www.naccho.org.