Defining Behavioral Health

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Behavioral health refers to �mental health and substance use disorders, �life stressors and crises, �and stress-related physical symptoms. �Behavioral health care refers to the prevention, �diagnosis and treatment of those conditions.

On January 8th, 2024, the White River Partnership engaged in a brainstorming activity around current services in our communities that support behavioral health, and then potential gaps in those services and opportunities embedded within those.

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The following slides represent that work, but are likely not a complete representation of what is currently available, or the gaps that exist for those in need of services. It is certainly not a final list of the opportunities within those gaps.

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Behavioral Health Resources

• Youth Center
• Senior Center/engagement and resources
• Internet - more access
• Mariana’s Ranch (foster support)
• 4-H Club
• Friendly Horse Acres
• Library
• Community Events/Gatherings (ie: BDA Hometown Market)
• Churches
• Social Engagement Orgs like Marion Grange or Eagles clubs
• White River School District (Mental Health Resources page/therapists available to students, FT counselors at each school, Social/Emotional learning specialists at each elem, Multi Tiered systems of support)
• Youth forums/Healthy Youth Survey

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Behavioral Health Resources

• Kids Mental Health Pierce County
• Pierce County Crisis Line
• Rainier School
• Some local advocacy groups/ Celebrate Recovery(NAMI, Al-Anon, AA)
• NAMI and SAMHSA online groups
• Muckleshoot tribe resources
• Doctors in Enumclaw/Buckley and Bonney Lake - TeleDoc
• Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)
• Enumclaw Youth Empowerment (enumclawyouth.org)
• Two additional treatment/intervention centers
• Community Courts
• Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy
• NE Pierce County Resource Guide

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Potential Needs or Gaps

• Spaces that normalize mental health needs
• Accessible treatment for mental health
• Awareness, stigma, avoidance
• Negative/harmful cultural practices
• Normalize conversations, teach methods on how to talk and express
• Education for community on intervention/access
• More youth AND adult education
• System to stop youth from drug use (marijuana)
• Internet/harmful (social media access)
• Education & resources around social media
• No access to health crisis facilities
• Need more treatment centers
• Strain on police/prisons

Potential Needs or Gaps

• Need more behavioral health education for youth
• Behavioral Health Tax (how do we tap into funds/how are funds allocated?)
• Restrictive criteria at Rainier School
• Low access to psychiatric needs facilities
• Not enough mental health professionals
• Not enough local advocacy groups
• NAMI and SAMHSA
• D & A assessment on the plateau?
• Transportation

Beyond the Lists

Conversation got deep.

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There were feelings about how culturally our focus has moved to individualism and we need to return to more interdependency and respect.

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Where do people go when they don’t have family, social or faith support?

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How do we build awareness of existing resources? How do we encourage people to support each other?

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Can we build social connection opportunities for parents and children too? How do we increase parent support and education? How do we encourage parental involvement past elementary school? Can we offer incentives and meals?

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What does it look like to encourage limitations around social media use? For kids AND adults.

On February 12th, 2024, the White River Partnership engaged in a brainstorming activity around potential opportunities and ideas to improve behavioral health in the white River area.

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The following slides represent that work, but are likely not a complete representation of the potential opportunities, ideas, and projects to bring improvement across all areas of White River. It is certainly not a final list of the opportunities across various demographics in East Pierce.

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Opportunities - Covered Area/Space

1. Providing funding to develop a covered area/space
1. Potential location: Buckley Youth Center
2. Current locations with covered spaces: Log Show Fairgrounds, Gazebos
1. Needs to be inviting and safe for users.
3. If you want anything to be pushed in the parks, WRP needs to get to council meetings to push action on the Parks plan.
• The City has the $ funding that can be used - “Squeaky wheel gets the oil”
• Alternatively, we can find grants and donations.
1. Don’t underestimate the power of community in working together to get things done, along with using city funding and grants.
2. It’s important and necessary to provide more opportunities to involve community in more projects.

Opportunities - Covered Area/Space - Continued

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• Providing funding to develop a covered area/space
• A covered area would need to be created to be universally used by community
• Would be a stronger ask if connected towards improving other health priorities (such as behavioral health, food access, social connections, youth activities, community events, and the Foothills Trail rest area)
• Kids want a safe space where they aren’t told what to do and require spending $ to use that space.

Opportunities

2. Covered Walkway over 410

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3. Pocket parks scattered across White River

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4. Mini RFP ($1-7K) to provide healing sessions across Pierce county (Zoe Grieder)

1. RFP is coming in March 2024 and posted on TPCHD website
2. “Healing” definition is very open: cooking class, dancing, drum circle, yoga, discussion about death and sickness, COVID-19
3. Non-profits and individuals can apply
4. RFP has a child wellness theme.

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Opportunities - MHFA Hub & Public/Private Trainings

5. Developing an MHFA Hub through the behavioral health tax. (Abby Buter)

1. Providing public and private classes for the community for free or at a low fee.
2. Classes will be Adult MHFA
3. Currently looking for community places to host classes; requires 1 day of training.
1. Potential location: Marion Grange Hall, Buckley Fire Department
4. Time requirement is flexible: Able to do training in 1 day, 2 evenings, or an online/in-person blend
5. Participant maximum: 30 people to a class
6. Teen MHFA is not yet in WRSD and could eventually come to the school district.
7. Could set up an MHFA action plan to speak at school board meeting to bring it into the school district could be very helpful

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Opportunities - MHFA Hub & Public/Private Trainings - Continued

• Providing public and private classes for the community for free or at a low fee.
• Past NAMI classes brought a lot of participants from the WR school district, but not as many participants from the community itself.
• The high-school has psychology classes and behavioral health experts, in which those classes could be used as opportunities to come and speak to youth.

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On March 11th, 2024, the White River Partnership came together to close out the discussions around Behavioral Health by identifying realistic projects the coalition would carry forward and assigning team members to lead specific actions and duties.

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The following slides represent that work, but are likely not a complete representation of the potential opportunities, ideas, and projects to bring improvement across all areas of White River. It is certainly not a final list of the opportunities across various demographics in East Pierce.

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Projects - Mental Health First Aid(MHFA) trainings

• May 18 - MHFA training for adults teaching youth in Buckley.
• MHFA is an international program that utilizes funding from Pierce county.
• WRP can help by promoting the training to other towns and groups.
• A potential project for WRP is to set 1 Adult MHFA training per quarter for the White River area
• Promote to WIlkeson, Prairie Ridge, South Prairie, Carbonado
• Assigned: WRP members

Projects - Teen Mental Health First Aid(MHFA) trainings

• Courtney Chandler (CChandler@tpchd.org) is striving for teen MHFA to be plugged in to the White River School District and needing a good amount of adults training in MHFA to further support teens and their learning of teen MHFA.
• Goal is to weave it into schools, which will help continue to perpetuate each year with more students.
• Teaching it to teens so that they can support other teens
• Teen MHFA is grant funded and free for the school district
• Able to also train school support orgs and groups(such as CIS), counselors, school staff, psychology/health classes
• Typically not teachers, as they are too busy.
• Jer Argo suggests a good place for teen MHFA would be in the 9th grade health classes.
• Courtney mentioned that school district staff is able to receive clock hours for training.
• Although Carbanado school district does not include teens, it may be helpful to share the awareness and opportunities with Jessie Sprouse to share with others.
• Jessie may know of a way to have it be utilized in Carbonado
• Assigned: Jer Argo, Courtney Chandler

Projects - Mental Health First Aid(MHFA) Resources for Community Events

• Sharing MHFA Resources for community events
• Zoe Grieder(Zgrieder@tpchd.org) and Courtney Chandler(CChandler@tpchd.org) can share at events
• Books for youth, teens, adults
• Flyers
• Information
• Ideas for community events
• Buckley Night Market
• Wilkeson Hand Car RAce
• WR Community Summit - May 13th
• Zoe & Courtney identify books for mental health, based on professional feedback and book reviews.
• Assigned: Meagan Rhoades, Mary Beth Holmes, Stephanie King

Projects - Behavioral Health RFP

• Behavioral Health RFP - Zoe Grieder(Zgrieder@tpchd.org) - TPCHD
• Funding that could be utilized by WRP partnering agencies - businesses, non-profits, individuals - to provide behavioral health opportunities.
• Should be an event/program that mixes family, youth, caregivers
• Potential ideas:
• yoga instructor/indigenous educator at PR summer camp
• Buckley youth center for music on the trail (Assigned: Josh will check with the youth center)
• Could be at a childcare center, but would need to be open to the public to attend.
• Cooking classes with The Cross Legacy
• When RFP is open, Zoe will send to the WRP.
• Assigned: Zoe Grieder, Mary Beth, Josh Hartford, others?

Projects - National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI) groups in East Pierce county

• Unsure on status of NAMI.
• WRP members did not have knowledge of NAMI groups in East Pierce.
• Wanting an in-person group for teens and adults in East Pierce.
• Assigned: Daniel Burdsall
• Daniel checked in with a NAMI representative, in which they shared that after COVID-19, their NAMI gatherings have transitioned to being online.
• NAMI contact information for their online group meetings:
• Info@namipierce.org
• 253-677-6629
• www.namipierce.org
• PO Box 111923 Tacoma, WA 98411

Projects -Teen behavioral health resources and numbers in NE Pierce Resource guide

• Needing to check in the NE Pierce Resource guide that there are accurate teen behavioral health resources and contact numbers included on the NE Pierce Resource Guide
• Assigned: Daniel Burdsall

Projects -TPCHD behavioral health resources

• Tacoma Pierce County Health Department(TPCHD) has behavioral health resources on their website that can be shared out to community partners and residents.
• TPCHD.org/hope has mental health resources that can be shared to community
• Assigned: WRP members

Projects - Covered Gathering Shelter

• Developing a covered gathering shelter for public use in all PNW seasons.
• Have Erin Snodgrass come speak on park plan and answer questions at WR FFC meeting, in order to understand how to bring project to youth activities
• Include in WRP meetings on youth activities
• This will help better understand the options for WRP
• Potentially fundraising opportunities from community that WRP can support on.
• Assigned: WRP members, Mary Beth Holmes, Daniel Burdsall

Projects - Senior Support

• Isolation and Seniors
• Have Chloe Mickelson come to speak at WR FFC meeting in the future too
• Volunteering is so helpful
• Adjusting senior engagement to reflect needs of youth to feel engage and focused
• Need a group activity to make it valuable for seniors and youth
• Assigned: Mary Beth Holmes

Projects - Stress Management - Triple P Classes

• Triple P classes
• The White River Family Resource Center provides access to Triple P Parenting classes, which brings better support to parents and children through helpful parenting techniques and stress management.
• The WRP can continue to help promote the Triple P classes to the White River area.
• Assigned: WRP members

Projects - Buckley PC Library - Lynsey Sharp

• Library is open for community events and trainings.
• They will be finished with developing their outdoor open space soon.
• The WRP can utilize the library space and let other groups know too.
• Assigned: WRP members