C .
Results
1 . Needs The research approach described above yielded a deduplicated list of 41 unmet behavioral health needs in the Polk County area . Again , all 41 ( and more ) are important . However , the charge to Polk Vision and by extension its partners was to prioritize the needs list and identify a core set of strategies to address them . The top eight prioritized needs are listed below , and the full list is included in the appendices .
1 . Improved community awareness of available services 2 . Better collaboration among agencies
3 . Increased capacity of care coordinators , navigators , and case workers to support the needs of higher-risk patients
4 . Additional services to provide transitional care services for people being released from jail 5 . School-based behavioral health education
6 . A centralized , fully updated , database of community providers and access information ( accessible either online or by phone )
7 . More mobile crisis response teams
8 . A central organization or entity that can work to reduce silos and contribute to more efficient , integrated behavioral health care
Working toward the objective of developing a core set of strategies , the project team categorized the 41 needs into four themes or , Strategic Objectives :
1 . Building capacity and increasing access to care 2 . Reducing stigma 3 . Increasing services for higher-risk groups 4 . Breaking down silos
Notice that information sharing and the ability of direct care providers , public safety , community organizations , schools , and others to efficiently and appropriately serve the community – “ Breaking down silos ” – are required steps to address the other three themes or Strategic Objectives .
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