A two-year effort to find ways to treat mental health and substance abuse – known as behavioral issues – in La Plata County has resulted in a recommendation for an eight-way approach to wellness.
The recommendation comes from a task force that broke out of a broader study of health issues by the Citizens Health Advisory Council.
Behavioral health, which refers to mental issues or a wide range of drug use, requires accessible and affordable care that includes prevention, the task force says in a report.
“The aim is to routinely integrate behavioral health into all health care to reduce the stigma for mental illness and to improve well-being for all with a focus on young people and those in highest need,” the report says.
The behavioral-health team gathered information on needs through meetings with various grassroots constituencies, the report said.
“It is not a needs analysis, which is based on a factual and analytic process,” the report says.
The proposed framework for action is composed of eight “dimensions” of wellness covering emotional, financial, social, spiritual, occupational, physical, intellectual and environmental elements.
Among priorities to adddress the issues are working to reduce the stigma associated with behaviorial health; cut wait time for mental health treatment, promote healthy behavior among schools and employers, increase public transportation, teach hands-on skills, educate employers about the importance of good behavioral health on the job.
“The amount of local buy-in with resources and successful grant applications will determine how quickly we move,” the report says.
Information is available from the Citizens Health Advisory Council at www.chaclaplata.org .