E.
Appendix E : Compendium of Additional Insights and Ideas
Throughout the Polk Vision project , scores of ideas and insights were identified . The following appendix includes ideas and insights contributed by community leaders , behavioral health services consumers , and others . The information below is intended to be used as a repository of ideas that may be referenced by future community stakeholders and others . The following appendix is categorized into the five core strategies as noted in the body of the Stage 3 report .
1 . Expand crisis care , behavioral health awareness , and early intervention for youth .
• Expand Access to Crisis Care Among High-need Community Groups
o Expand Crisis Intervention Training ( CIT ) to a wider range of first responders and care providers . CIT benefits first responders and community members by providing more appropriate and helpful intervention to people needing services . See inset .
o Jointly develop a central message and public information campaign to improve awareness of , and access to , crisis lines and other current programs . Adopt a Public Resource Platform such as Enhanced 211 , Polk FORWARD ©, or FindHelp . org . 51 o
Strengthen community awareness of “ No Wrong Door ” initiatives ; establish collaborative MOUs to solidify operational arrangements – referrals , coordination of care , and access . For example , Institute a “ No Wrong Door ” ( NWD ) System . A NWD system is where anyone can be seamlessly connected to the full range of community-based options available . Through a network of agencies , NWD expands access to services and supports , helping individuals and their caregivers navigate resources they need with a person-centered approach .” 52 Revised policies within direct care provider sites and other first responders , as well as MOUs between them are required to address the NWD strategy .
• Expand services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness ; services can be designed to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness or reduce the negative impact of being homeless for others .
o Establish a chapter of Downtown Streets Team ( to support people experiencing homelessness ). See note above .
o Enroll in and pursue zero functional homelessness among veterans via Community Solutions ( Built for Zero ).
51
Note : Increased awareness of existing services is a principal tenet to efficient use of services . Greater awareness drives down relative utilization of urgent or emergency services while improving general access to care . Some Polk County outpatient and specialized care services are underutilized not because of capacity ( i . e ., they do not exist ) but because community members who may need the services either are not aware that they exist or are not aware of ways to access them .
52
U . S . Department of Health and Human Services . Available at https :// nwd . acl . gov / our-initiatives . html
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