Conduct a media campaign on public awareness of mental health issues and effects of substance abuse among local officials, Mitchell County residents, and local healthcare providers. 

The partners for this program include:

• Dedicated community partners began the planning process for a regional substance use anti-stigma communications campaign. Nine months of listening sessions, advisory group meetings, strategic planning sessions, and product development resulted in a robust understanding of what regional stakeholders wanted from an anti-stigma focused communications campaign. The main takeaway = this work is important and needs to happen!

• Planned a second phase of the campaign thanks to generous funding from Dogwood Health Trust, 5 communities in WNC are piloting messages from the See Me WNC campaign. This campaign seeked to reduce stigma related to substance use by promoting stories of residents in WNC who have lived experience with addiction. Promoted successes, focused on messages of hope and resilience, and connected residents to essential resources were cornerstones for this campaign. In the long-term, we hope See Me WNC lays the groundwork for a regional re-understanding of substance use, decreasing and eliminating stigma so people can access the care and resources they need
• Conducted the View From Here WNC regional social media communications campaign focused on connecting residents with essential resources related to Mental Health, Substance Use, Healthy Eating/Active Living, and COVID/ Flu vaccines. This campaign reached over 450,000 WNC residents with these important messages. Part of what makes this collaborative campaign so powerful is the local trusted messengers who have shared their stories of resilience with residents across the region.

• Launched a Naloxone Survey as part of the regional work in Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder, Dogwood Health Trust created a survey that focuses on the accessibility and availability of Naloxone in WNC. They looked for input from community partners who are currently distributing or using Naloxone (or Narcan or other brands), the reversal agent for opioid overdose, in their work. Efforts to encourage organizations to take this important survey are still underway.  We are excited to develop a complete picture of Naloxone availability and accessibility in the region. 

• Held a Drug Takeback Day, Crush the Crisis Day, on Saturday, October 28, 2023.  HCA is partnering with local law enforcement agencies and Partnership for Substance Free Youth to host Crush the Crisis prescription drug take back events at locations across WNC. Residents had the opportunity to safely and anonymously drop off unused and expired medication for proper disposal any of the participating collection site, at the local hospital.