The behavioral health of Montgomery County residents, which affects overall well-being, will be supported through education and increased access to prevention services.
Why Is This Important?
With the reports of the overall prevalence of drug use in many communities increasing, it seems as if substance abuse is becoming a national norm. Often teens and young adults who participate in “harmless” experimentation, transition into an addiction with serious social, health, and illegal consequences. Education can help guide young people to make fully informed decisions.
Suicide is a complex behavior that can be influenced by many different factors. High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are much more likely to think about suicide than those who identify as heterosexual. Suicide is preventable, but it requires a comprehensive approach involving both the family and the community to reduce risks and strengthen protective factors.
Strategies and Leads
| Strategies | Leads |
| Raise public awareness and knowledge of the health risks associated with illicit marijuana use, alcohol use, and non-prescription opioid use. | COAT (Education & Information Branch), MCPC Subcommittees (Opioid & Cannabis and Alcohol) |
| Reduce youth access to marijuana, alcohol, and non-prescription opioids. | MCPC Subcommittees (Opioid & Cannabis and Alcohol), MCPC Retailers Care Work Group |
| Address policies and practices to prevent youth use of marijuana, alcohol, and non-prescription opioids. | MCPC Subcommittees (Opioid & Cannabis and Alcohol), MCPC Policy & Advocacy Subcommittee |
| Convene the Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) and Suicide Fatality Review (SFR) committees to review overdoses and suicides and develop actionable recommendations to prevent overdose deaths and suicides. | OFR/SFR Committees |
| Initiate, improve, and expand suicide prevention services within Federally Qualified Health Centers, Behavioral Health Organizations, Emergency Departments, and VA outpatient clinics focusing on adults 25 and older. | ADAMHS (Zero Suicide Project) |
| Provide information to youth or individuals that can impact youth with the intent to prevent mental illness and suicide to include a purposeful focus on LGBTQ+ youth. | MCPC Subcommittees (Suicide Prevention, Self-Care, Power-Based Violence); LGBTQ+ Health Alliance |
| Provide training for professionals and family members to implement effective mental health promotion and mental illness prevention strategies within their schools and communities. | MCPC Subcommittees (Suicide Prevention, Gambling Prevention, Self-Care, Power-Based Violence) |
| Develop/revise policies for school districts designed to prevent suicide deaths. | MCPC Suicide Prevention Subcommittee |
| Educate professionals, community members, and families on topics that contribute towards health disparities and negatively affect the overall well-being of individuals in the Q+ community. | LGBTQ+ Health Alliance; MCPC Power-Based Subcommittee |
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