Local organizations, PATH staff, and community members have been meeting to address suicide prevention and mental health in our area, starting with a series of candid conversations and planning sessions. The work group, which is facilitated by PATH staff, aims to identify mental health needs in our community and create actionable plans to address them.
We appreciate the individuals from Mayland Community College, the faith community, SEARCH WNC, NC Cooperative Extension – Yancey Center, Yancey County Sheriff’s Department, RHA Prevention, High Country Caregivers, parents, and community members who’ve shared their time, insight, and lived experience. The group plans to meet on a monthly basis to continue this important work and invites all new voices willing to join the conversation.
During the first two meetings, the work group identified five areas of action for addressing suicide and mental health: Inviting the public to learn about mental health; engaging teens in creative social activities; elevating and listening to community voices; building confidence and capacity; expanding crisis support; and engaging faith communities.
During the third meeting, the group engaged in an action planning session and created four task teams with different goals to accomplish in the next 3-6 months. Teams are researching mental health crisis response models, working to inform the community about mental health and local resources, holding listening sessions to determine unmet mental health needs in the community, and researching effective ways to support the mental health of our local youth.
The work group plans to meet on a monthly basis to continue the momentum around addressing suicide and mental health. If you are interested in joining the conversation please reach out to info@pathwnc.org to attend the next meeting or be connected to one of the task teams.
