MCA Speaks at Maine Public Health Conference

Midcoast Community Alliance: Addressing mental health using a public health model
 
In July 2016, five local organizations came together to address the high rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and more found within our community. By the fall, the Midcoast Community Alliance had grown to include nearly 50 people from 25 different organizations all working together to reduce mental health stigma, to encourage help seeking and, ultimately, to be a suicide-free community.
 
Coalition members reviewed local data and experiences of youth, schools, affected others and created a mission, vision and goals. The coalition is focusing on increasing
the number of youth who feel valued in their community, decreasing the higher than state average number of high school youth who have considered suicide, and
increasing awareness of support. Mid Coast Hospital supports the community mental health promotion efforts through a SAMHSA Now is the Time Project Aware grant to
offer free Mental Health First Aid trainings and mental health awareness.
 
Midcoast Community Alliance co-founder and coordinator, Jamie Dorr and Mid Coast Hospital Community Health Promotion Director, and MCA member, Melissa Fochesato will share successes, barriers, and future plans of the coalition.