A United Front for Mental Health: Insights from the Pulse on Wellness

A United Front for Mental Health: Insights from the Pulse on Wellness

 

United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA), on behalf of the New Orleans Mental Health Collaborative (MHC), hosted the first Behavioral Health Providers' Pulse on Wellness event this fall. This gathering brought together key partners to address the pressing mental health challenges facing the New Orleans East, Holy Cross, and Lower 9 neighborhoods.  

 

A Collaborative Approach to Mental Health  

Established in October 2022, the MHC's vision is for New Orleanians to have equitable access to a robust, well-coordinated mental health system of high-quality care. With an overarching goal of coordination of care grounded in needs assessment, the MHC’s current focus includes access to care and capacity building.    

Grounded in a collective impact model, the MHC is a network of community members, organizations, and institutions advancing equitable health care access by learning together and utilizing current data to align and integrate their actions to achieve population and systems-level change to improve behavioral health in New Orleans.   

 

A Shared Vision for Mental Health  

Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham, Executive and Medical Director, Metropolitan Human Services District, set the stage by outlining the event's objectives of establishing the network of behavioral health providers, determining the communities’ top three behavioral health issues, exploring effective solutions to these challenges, developing actionable steps, and identifying missing voices and strategies for their inclusion.  

 

Unveiling the Challenges  

Through discussions and interactive exercises, attendees identified the target area's top three behavioral health issues.  

  1. Transporation 

  1. Access to behavioral healthcare provider agencies 

  1. Wait time for appointments 

  

Pioneering Solutions  

To address these challenges, participants identified several innovative solutions. 

  1. Integration of behavioral health and primary care (Co-locating organizations in schools/community centers/FQHCs) 

  1. Use of community health workers 

  1. Training community members in mental health first aid 

  

A Call to Action  

The MHC is committed to translating these insights into concrete action.  

  1. Promote services through a marketing campaign to increase awareness and connect patients to resources 

  1. Facilitate partnerships throughout the parish to improve referrals and share best practices 

  1. Fundraise for increased access to care and expanded services 

  1. Advocate for increased mental health education and training in the community 

 

We can work together to create a more resilient and mentally healthy New Orleans by facilitating partnerships, advocating for policy changes, and supporting community-based initiatives.   

 

The Road Ahead  

As we move forward, the MHC is committed to including all stakeholders in shaping the future of mental health in the community. All attendees will visit two organizations they met through the Behavior Health Providers: Pulse on Wellness event and bring others to the table. 

 

Join UWSELA and community partners to continue this dialogue at upcoming quarterly meetings on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, and Tuesday, January 21, 2025, from noon – 1 p.m. Together, we can provide mental health support to individuals and communities, while also creating the partnerships needed to remove barriers to mental health for all. 

 

 

Learn more at UnitedWaySELA.org/mhc or contact Melisse Meza, United Way SELA VP of Health and Fund Distribution, at MelisseM@UnitedWaySELA.org.