Project Description Narrative:
With their Advancing Behavioral Health initiative, NorthLakes Community Clinic aims to reduce the number of behavioral health crisis calls in Ashland and Bayfield counties by 30% through a collaborative effort. In Ashland and Bayfield counties, access to mental health resources is limited, and there is just one critical access hospital. The Chequamegon Accountable: The Community for Health (CA:tCH) platform was developed to create structure and make possible collaborations to improve health and wellness in this area.
In phases one and two of the initiative, project team members explored and identified the challenges to addressing mental health concerns for local agencies. The second phase involved developing an initial work group, which included representation from those agencies, front-line workers, and a peer mentor with lived experience. The workgroup developed CA:tCH Safety Plans (community safety plans), and a CA:tCH Board was recruited.
Phase three of the initiative involves further development, sustaining, and disseminating the impactful work done through developing the CA:tCH model. This includes supporting and continuing ongoing work of the CA:tCH platform, identifying the next steps for the CA:tCH Safety Plans project, and working with MCW academic partners to disseminate information and tools developed from the initiative.
In this final phase of the initiative, project partners expect to have sufficient data to assess the impact and success of the CA:tCH platform and CA:tCH Safety Plans.
Community partners: Ashland County Health and Human Services, Ashland County Sheriff's Department, Bad River Health and Wellness, Bayfield County, Bayfield County Department of Human Services, Bayfield County Sheriff's Department, City of Ashland Police Department, Memorial Medical Center, NorthLakes Community Clinic, Red Cliff Health Clinic, School District of Ashland