• Stigma is perceived as greatly restricting people ’ s willingness to seek care for behavioral health issues ( especially substance use disorder and schizophrenia-related issues ). Stakeholders suggest that stigma is prominent in the general population , as well as some additional challenges due to cultural , religious , and income-related issues .
4 . Many Stage 1 Stakeholders Feel that it is Important to Capitalize on School Resources to Provide Crisis Care , Education / Preventive Support , and Early Intervention Services Stakeholders indicate that schools ( i . e ., school-age children ) are high need areas , and they have the ability to provide information and resources that can uniquely reach generations of families , catch problems early , and help potentially avoid future ACEs .
• Social media is a driver , and kids tend to frequently post on social media channels about drinking and drugs , which seem more accepted now . The increasing legalization of marijuana is a concern , as is the culture in schools of idolizing certain personalities .
• The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged communications with students , so more issues are likely to be discovered when students return to school .
C . Stage 1 Behavioral Health Data Highlights
The Stage 1 data review dovetailed well with the qualitative work referenced above . The behavioral health climate in Polk County is characterized by substance use and behavioral health incidence rates similar to the Florida average . However , averages can often mask high-need pockets or communities within a county . Stage 2 research provided further , in-depth analysis of these core issues . Some of the key issues to particularly note include , but are not limited to :
• Behavioral health capacity ( e . g ., inpatient beds ) is well below the Florida average , as well as U . S . goals .
• There is a high concentration of providers in the Lakeland area , yet low numbers of providers in other parts of the county – even when adjusting for population concentration areas .
• While many general incidence rates for behavioral health ( excluding substance use disorder ) and for substance misuse , as noted above , are similar to state and U . S . averages , some trends such as suicide attempts and completed suicides underscore the need for additional focus .
• Approximately one in seven ( about 15 %) of Polk County residents indicate that they struggle with depression and / or are otherwise at risk for behavioral health challenges . Given the current ( and growing ) population , the percentage translates to approximately 100,000 people .
• Youth represent one of the particularly high-risk groups – especially females and youth ( all genders ) of a mixed-race heritage .
• The relatively high level of people with high Adverse Childhood Experiences ( ACEs ) scores ( i . e ., four or more ACEs as children ) suggest ongoing opportunities to help support people who are working to address childhood trauma or abuse .
Stage 2 activities provided greater detail to the issues suggested by the data and mapping in the Stage 1 report .
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