A new coalition that includes government officials, doctors, healthcare workers, police, nonprofits, and churches that will work toward bettering the mental health of residents has been launched in DeKalb County.
Called the DeKalb County Behavioral Health Coalition (DCBHC), the new group was introduced at the DeKalb County Planning, Economic Development and Community Services (PECS) Committee meeting on July 23.
According to officials, the coalition will work “to assess needs and improve mental health care for DeKalb County residents.”
There are many entities and organizations working within the coalition, including members from Claratel Behavioral Health, Clarkston Hub/Refugee Women’s Network, Clarkston Mental Health Collaborative, Clarkston Resource and Wellness Hub, DeKalb County Police Department, DeKalb County School District, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb Public Health, Department of Human Services, Easter Seals, Inc., Emory Healthcare, Front Line Response, Grady Behavioral Health, Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, The Center for Victims of Torture, and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
“The coalition will facilitate dialogue, improve partnerships, develop a community needs assessment to guide county resources and align actions across providers to serve the behavioral health needs of the residents of DeKalb County,” stated officials.
According to Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, who chairs the county’s PECS committee, collaboration will be key to the coalition’s success.
“This new approach is a way to convene key providers and stakeholders to tackle this problem together to create community change around behavioral health and substance abuse,” said Long Spears, adding, “In my years as a commissioner there has not been a collaborative effort like this before.”
The DCBHC coalition has already established goals that include:
- Completing a comprehensive assessment of the community’s existing services and resources focused on the behavioral health needs of residents of DeKalb County and associated social determinants of health.
- Identifying gaps in the current continuum of care for individuals in DeKalb County with behavioral health needs, including an assessment of behavioral health and substance use disorder trends.
- Creating a forum to foster partnerships and coordination of services across service providers representing behavioral health, physical health, and resource providers throughout the county.
- Researching, developing, and implementing innovative approaches to resolving identified gaps in the continuum of care.
- Reviewing quality metrics and monitoring community outcomes associated with the coalition’s initiatives.
A study published by Journo Research earlier this year showed that Georgia ranked below the national average in an analysis that examined how each state’s mental health data compares with that of other states across the nation.
“The study, conducted by Leafwell, examined various health indicators for each state, including levels of frequent mental distress, physical inactivity, number of poor mental health days, life expectancy, access to exercise and median household income,” stated officials with Journo Research. “An overall health score was calculated for each state out of 100, leading to a ranking based on these critical health metrics. Georgia has calculated a total score of 40.9, placing it 37th within the overall national rankings.”
The study found that on average, Georgians complained of struggling with mental distress more frequently and for longer periods of time than many other states.
For more information, visit claratel.org.
