Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention training (QPR) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) are existing programs in our community.  These programs are supported by the Substance Use Prevention Alliance (SUPA) coalition.  Training courses are led by the area's Managed Care Organization, Vaya Health. Coalition partners recommend continuing these programs and think that when combined with other actions in our community, they have a reasonable chance of making a difference to improve mental health care and outcomes in our community.  

The priority population/customers for QPR and MHFA training sessions are health care and human services professionals. In addition, these training programs are open to all interested individuals.  The goal is to make a difference at the individual/interpersonal behavior level for staff and the clients they serve.  The intent of this goal is to develop a community-wide workforce skilled at recognizing suicidal ideations and individuals affected by adverse outcomes, resulting in quick, appropriate services and care for at-risk populations they serve. 

Following each training, we plan to administer an anonymous survey asking three questions: 1) Has this training positively influenced your life or the lives of those you serve? 2) Do you recommend this training for co-workers or other agencies? 3) Please explain your answers (optional).  

Potential data limitations:

• Some participants attend multiple sessions, resulting in a duplicate count. 
• Data may not be collected for some sessions. 
• Some participants may not complete the optional evaluation.     
• Percentage data is averaged. 

The "Story Behind the Curve" helps us understand the causes and forces at work that explain the impact of mental health trainings and awareness.  Haywood County Health and Human Services and Vaya Health partner on this effort.  Vaya Health is the primary training provider.  They collaborate with Haywood County Health and Human Services to provide and promote mental health trainings.  Resources such as staff time, meeting space, and training materials are part of this effort.  This section includes input and direct quotes from the 2025 priority-setting meeting and 'Getting to Strategies' meeting.  

Customers include community service providers in Haywood County and their clients.  Organizational customers have well-established programs and primarily serve underserved and at-risk and/or vulnerable populations in Haywood County.  These organizations provide services such as early childhood education, substance use and mental health treatment, and counseling.  Program goals are to increase awareness, skills, and comfort levels of mental health and other providers; assess and develop clinical and behavioral improvement plans for their clients; and to respond appropriately during mental health crises. Training up a skilled workforce by using evidence-based programs will improve skills and competency levels when working with clients facing mental health issues and help strengthen referral networks for quick and seamless access to care.  

What's Helping What We Do? These are the positive forces at work with our Mental Health training strategy that influence how much we do or how well we do it.

• Buy-in from community partners, including willingness to promote and/or host programs.
• Skilled, professional facilitators from a trusted Managed Care Organization.
• Facilitators are trained to offer evidence-based programs
• Professionals interested in receiving training 
• Scheduling programs that are relevant to participants' roles and needs
• Adequate training environment

What's Hurting What We Do? These are the negative forces at work in our Mental Health training strategy that influence how much we do or how well we do it.

• Limited recruitment or enrollment of participants
• Training sessions may not be able to accommodate all who want to attend.  
• The training format, whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid, may affect interest and ability in attending.  This may also impact a person's overall experience and willingness to recommend the training.    
• Training staff cover a large service area.  
• Training spaces are sometimes difficult to schedule.  
• Surveys may not have 100% participation.  If surveys are not sent in a timely manner, this may affect the completion rate. 

What's Helping Customer Change? These are the positive forces at work in our mental health training strategy that influence customer change.

• Buy-in from participants
• Many organizations prioritize continuing education 

What's Hurting Customer Change? These are the negative forces at work in our mental health training strategy that influence customer change.

• Limited capacity for attending additional trainings
• A person may not find the training relevant to their work and the clients they serve.  

The following actions have been identified by our Substance Use Prevention Alliance (SUPA) and community members as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference to our community's mental health.  This section includes direct quotes and other input from the SUPA 'Getting to Strategies' session and the 2025 priority-setting session.    

(A) Actions and Approaches Identified by Our Partners These are actions and approaches that our partners think can make a difference on mental health outcomes.    

• Evidence-based strategies developed in a compassionate and culturally appropriate manner.  
• Having a 'no wrong door' approach has proven to be effective in helping refer people to other needed services.  
• Trauma-informed care embedded in services
• Highly trained, high quality and appropriately compensated services.  
• Peer-driven support
• Regional support networks, showcasing a united fronts with groups sharing the same information, building public trust. 

(B) What is Currently Working in Our Community These are actions and approaches that are currently in place in our community to make a difference on mental health outcomes.      

• Compass/Core program available in middle school and afterschool program
• Educating providers about resources 
• Available resources; some organizations offer grants for care.  
• Crisis behavioral health care and short-term inpatient care
• 988 awareness program
• Crisis Intervention Team

(C) Evidence-Based Strategies These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on mental health outcomes.  

During the 2025 priority-setting meeting, participants shared that those most impacted are:

• School-aged children- high depression and anxiety rates 
• Everyone
• People living in poverty
• Incarcerated individuals
• Health care workers 

Process for Selecting Priority Strategies

Haywood County used a process planning tool referred to as the "Getting to Strategies: Process Plan," designed to move from health priorities to Community Health Improvement Plan strategies. This tool assisted in guiding a discussion with the Substance Use Prevention Alliance participants.  Participants and health education staff discussed current and potential strategies.  While discussing and selecting strategies, it was important to consider feasibility, sustainability, level of impact.  Seven questions were presented to meeting participants:

• Questions:
  • What are the quality-of-life conditions we want for the people who live in our community?
  • How can we measure these conditions?
  • What would these conditions look like if we could see them?
  • How are we doing on the most important of these measures?
  • Who are the partners who have a role to play in doing better?
  • What works to do better?
  • What do we propose to do?