517: New Mental Health Framework, Teaming Up to Address Overdoses

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, October 4, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

NIA WEST-BEY: 

I think my top takeaway for people in public health is that young people want you and need you in this space.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Dr. Nia West-Bey is director of youth policy at the Center for Law and Social Policy in Washington, D.C. She's talking about a new framework focused on young people and their mental health needs.

NIA WEST-BEY: 

So, as we had conversations with young people and focus groups, as we look through youth-led research projects in this space, youth-led initiatives in this space. And really, when we center the experiences of young people whose identities and communities are most marginalized in this country, we get three big issues that are impacting people's mental health. It's community violence, its economic strain, and it's racism and other types of discrimination.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

ASTHO, the CDC, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and Mental Health America worked together to develop the framework. West-Bay says it aligns with the public health approach to these concerns.

NIA WEST-BEY: 

The goal here is not for the public health system to suddenly take over the mental health system or to trample on the toes of folks that work in the mental health space, but really to think about public health's unique lens on prevention and wellness promotion, and how can we lead and support our colleagues who are in our mental health systems with that energy and with that framework.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

West-Bey wants public health leaders to embrace the framework and use it to help young people in their communities.

NIA WEST-BEY: 

I would really hope that folks would take this as well, a real call to action, as a way that we can make a meaningful contribution, a needed contribution, a wanted contribution. And to find that energizing as you move forward with plans in your respective communities.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

You can read more about the framework using the links in the show notes.

CATHY SLEMP 

Besides building the relationship, it's having specific concrete solutions that you can implement together and develop together.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Dr. Cathy Slemp is the former state health commissioner in West Virginia. She says public safety, public health, and harm reduction sometimes have differing approaches to the overdose crisis.

CATHY SLEMP 

You know, I think law enforcement, like emergency department staff and the medical field, you know, they're always dealing with people in crisis, you know, the harm reduction world, just such an important arena, and so much opportunity there. They're very relationship-focused and practical and supportive and on the street. And then public health, we tend to think strategically and long-term and use data and want to do lots of meetings.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Despite those differences, Slemp says success is possible when concrete solutions are implemented together. She points to West Virginia's Quick Response Teams that connect with people who've overdosed or attempted overdose.

CATHY SLEMP 

A cross-sector team was made with a law enforcement person, a public health person. The law enforcement was plainclothes, a public health person, in some settings, a faith-based leader to kind of link to talk about what gives life meaning for your social work so they can understand what are the other issues going on, they meet with that person to say what's the context that's happened in? What can we help you with? How can we form relationships, and from there begin to kind of work more holistically with the person.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

Slemp says agencies across the country could have more impact if they could find a way to achieve this level of cooperation when responding to overdose cases.

CATHY SLEMP 

You know, at the end of the day, we do a better job at saving lives and creating safer and healthier communities and creating opportunities for all of us to thrive. If we understand each other, we do that work together.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

You can hear more from Dr. Slemp's interview in a new episode of the Public Health Review podcast available now everywhere you stream audio.

Also today learn how to work with your PRAMS data during an ASTHO webinar this Thursday, October 5 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Attendees will discover how the weights are constructed and how to create subsets for weighted analysis. If you work with PRAMS data, you'll want to attend this meeting online. Get a seat now using the link in the show notes.

Finally, this morning, ASTHO is looking for a group of executives to be part of a new cohort for its Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health program. Past graduates say they've been able to apply lessons in their public health work, and some report their training even led to promotions. Get more information and apply using the link in the show notes. The application deadline is Friday, October 13, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

We'd also like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.