Summary of Needs From Stage 1 and Stage 2 Research
Stage 1 and Stage 2 project activities established a solid foundation of data and validated research . Additional qualitative and quantitative research engaged a broad spectrum of Polk County community members including those with personal experience receiving or providing care , as well as other representatives of at-risk groups . “ Harder to reach ” community groups taking part in the research include ( but are not limited to ) disadvantaged youth , lower income parents recovering from SUD and / or other behavioral health issues , LGBTQ community members , migrant workers , Hispanic community members and others whose primary language is not English , people experiencing homelessness , individuals living with seen or unseen disabilities , and others .
Research also included in-depth conversations with public health leaders , public safety leaders , direct care providers , first responders , Community Based Organization ( CBO ) affiliates , school officials , business representatives , many general community members , and others .
Based on the broad-based research , four , non-discreet , system-level needs were identified :
• Building capacity and increasing access to care
• Reducing stigma
• Increasing services for higher-risk groups
• Breaking down silos
More importantly , the research identified several specific community groups in which needs are particularly acute . Operations and future activities that positively impact the system-level needs noted above will help meet the needs of all community members . However , when identifying priorities for future strategies , it will be helpful to focus on activities that do one or more of the following :
• Increase support and care for the greatest number of community members in need
• Increase support and care for people with the most urgent needs
• Positively impact longer-term , cyclical ( or “ generational ”) behavioral health needs
Stage 3 of the project will further explore needs prioritization , develop strategies to address the needs , and create helpful tools or other mechanisms to measure progress .
The Stage 2 Qualitative Research Summary ( above ) provides a wealth of suggested activities that may be helpful in addressing Polk County behavioral health needs . This section provides more granular insight regarding specific opportunities and higher-need segments within each of the four system-level need categories . The following table provides a synopsis of the Stage 2 and Stage 1 research – showing systemlevel needs ( that impact all community members ) and lists of more detailed community segments who may be either at greater risk or may be a particular focus of strategies designed to address the system-level need . Again , note that all Polk County residents would benefit from actions that lead to system-level improvement ( the first , or left-most , column on the next page ), yet communities with elevated needs ( i . e ., those noted in the second column ) are at particularly higher-risk , based on Stage 1 and Stage 2 research .
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