As Milwaukee prepares to celebrate the holiday season, a time traditionally associated with joy and togetherness, a consortium of health care, mental health, and social service organizations is stepping up to address a critical yet often overlooked aspect of the holidays – mental health challenges. The group created navigation resources and tools to help consumers and providers connect with local mental health and substance use services.
Over the past year, a public-private Mental Health Navigation (MHN) work group led by Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services and members and affiliates of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership recognized the challenges people experience trying to find help for mental health and substance use concerns and crises. The work group inventoried programs and services and created resources to help community members and providers find and access mental health and substance use services. The resources were informed by community groups, mental health advocates, care managers, and other health care professionals, reflecting a deep understanding of the community’s needs.
Mike Lappen, Milwaukee County BHS Administrator, emphasizes the importance of improving connections to mental health and substance use services: “At Milwaukee County BHS, we recognize that ensuring access to mental health services requires a community-wide approach. We are pleased to be working with community members, IMPACT, HealthyMKE, and fellow members of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership to ensure that residents and other health care and social service organizations know how to find the behavioral health services they need –, 24/7.”
The new and enhanced mental health navigation resources can be found at HealthyMKE.com/well and feature a variety of free tools that help consumers and providers find mental health and substance use care via:
• printable materials,
• direct links to online resources,
• and a navigation widget that organizations can embed on their websites,
John Hyatt, President & CEO of IMPACT, highlights the significance of these navigation tools: “The new and enhanced mental health navigation resources are more than informational gateways; they provide direct entry points into the array of information we have via IMPACT 211. These enhancements effectively bridge the gap between those seeking help and the available services; marking a significant step in improving access to care.” The impact of these improved navigation resources will not only be measured by website visits, calls or texts but in increased consumer and provider awareness of the wide array of prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery programs and services for adults, children and families.
Jessica Small, president of Aurora Psychiatric Hospital and Wisconsin Behavioral Health Operations at Advocate Aurora Health and member of the MHCP Behavioral Health Provider Steering Committee, highlights the importance of this collective work: “The improvement in the understanding and navigation of mental health services is one of the key priorities in our redesign of the behavioral health delivery system. We hope that these new resources, and ongoing efforts of the MHN initiative, will result in more timely and appropriate connections to care.“
As the MHN initiative evolves, it will continually update the navigation resources with new information and user feedback. The workgroup will also engage the HealthyMKE’s Outreach Team to build awareness of mental health services and navigation resources via their participation in holiday food drives and distribution of materials to various community-based organizations, neighborhood groups, and places of worship.
This holiday season, we invite everyone to join in changing the narrative around mental health and substance use by integrating and sharing these navigation resources with individuals and organizations. As Milwaukee lights up for the holidays, the new mental health navigation resources stand as a beacon of hope, guiding the way toward a more understanding, supportive, and resilient community with access to mental health and substance use care.
To explore the various resources, learn more, and get connected with the initiative visit HealthyMKE.com/well.
Boilerplate
Mental Health Navigation Initiative: A collaborative project in Milwaukee County combining public and private efforts to enhance mental health and substance use service awareness and access. Key participants include Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services, Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, IMPACT 211, and various mental health community advisory groups.
Milwaukee Health Care Partnership: Established in 2007, the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership is a public/private consortium dedicated to improving health care for low-income, underserved populations in Milwaukee County with the aim of improving health outcomes, advancing health equity, and lowering the total cost of care. Members of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership include the four Milwaukee -based health systems, the five federally qualified health centers, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services: Essential provider of mental health and substance use services in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Offers comprehensive care including inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention, and community programs, with a focus on advocacy, public education, and community partnerships.
IMPACT: As the designated provider of 211 services in Southeastern Wisconsin, IMPACT is our community’s central access point for people in need. During times of personal crisis or community disaster the free, confidential helpline and online resource directory make it easy for residents to get connected to information and assistance.
HealthyMKE: An initiative led by the community to boost health justice and outcomes in Milwaukee County, focusing on access to care, communicable diseases, chronic disease, mental health, and substance use. Supported by INPOWER, a Black, woman-owned marketing firm in Milwaukee’s Harambee community.