HNC 2030 Scorecard: Henderson County (2021-2023)
The Henderson County Department of Public Health's mission is "to promote, protect, and advance the health and wellness of our community". In collaboration with WNC Healthy Impact, and numerous community partners, the Department of Public Health completes a Community Health Assessment (CHA) every three years. The CHA is an important part of improving and promoting the health of county residents.
The following Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Scorecard fullfills the NC Local Health Department requirements that local health departments complete at least two action plans following the submission of Henderson County's 2021 Community Health Assessment (CHA). It is an easy way to learn more about some of the efforts currently underway in the community to address the identified health priorities:
- Mental Health
- Substance Misuse
- Physical Activity & Nutrition
- Safe & Affordable Housing
- Interpersonal Violence
Instructions: Click anywhere on the Scorecard to learn more about programs and partners that are working together to improve the health of Henderson County. Use the "+" icon to expand items, or the "-" icon to contract items. Click on the "note pad" icon to read more.
Use the key below to navigate the Scorecard:
If you have questions about this Scorecard or would like more information, please contact Juliana Whitaker, Community Health Assessment Lead at the Henderson County Department of Public Health, at julianawhitaker@hendersoncountync.gov.
The following resources were used/reviewed to complete this Scorecard:
Executive Summary
Download the complete document here: 2021 Henderson County Community Health Assessment
Community Results Statement
Henderson County is a healthy community to live, work and play.
Leadership for the Community Health Assessment Process
The Henderson County Board of Health and Department of Public Health provide leadership and support for the Community Health Assessment (CHA) process.
Partnerships
The CHA is facilitated in partnership with AdventHealth Hendersonville, Pardee UNC Health Care, and the Henderson County Partnership for Health. Agency and individual acknowledgments are made in detail in Appendix G of the Community Health Assessment.
Regional/Contracted Services
Our county received support from WNC Healthy Impact, a partnership and coordinated process between hospitals, public health agencies, and key regional partners in western North Carolina working towards a vision of improved community health. We work together locally and regionally to assess health needs, develop collaborative plans, take action, and evaluate progress and impact. This innovative regional effort is coordinated and supported by WNC Health Network. WNC Health Network is the alliance of stakeholders working together to improve health and healthcare in western North Carolina.
Framework & Model for Action
WNC Health Network provides local hospitals and public health agencies with tools and support to collect, visualize, and respond to complex community health data through Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA). RBA is a disciplined, common-sense approach to thinking and acting with a focus on how people, agencies, and communities are better off for our efforts.
Collaborative Process Summary
Henderson County’s collaborative process is supported on a regional level by WNC Healthy Impact. Locally, our process is guided by a CHA team. The CHA team reviews primary and secondary data, then develops a short list of dominant health concerns. These health concerns are then brought forth to the Partnership for Health and the community at large to prioritize and develop action plans. Phase 1 of the collaborative process began in January 2021 with the collection of community health data. For more details on this process see Chapter 1 – Community Health Assessment Process in Henderson County's 2021 CHA.
Priorities
The 2021 Henderson County Community Health Priorities are:
- Mental Health
- Substance Misuse
- Physical Activity & Nutrition
- Safe & Affordable Housing
- Interpersonal Violence
Health disparities were recognized as a common concern among all priorities. An equity-based approach to improve health outcomes is an inherent part of community health plans for each priority.
Importance
What information led to the selection of this health issue and related result?
Mental health has been a CHA priority for Henderson County since 2003. Access and quality of mental health services has been a source of concern for many years. Over the last 20 years, changes to the mental health system have occurred, which have negatively affected those facing mental health challenges in our community, as well as their caregivers and other organizations that provide support for them. The system that replaced the previous community mental health model is siloed and disjointed, leaving community members and healthcare providers alike confused about where to begin when they need referrals for behavioral health services.
Further, suicide stands as the 7th overall leading cause of death in Henderson County, and the 3rd leading cause of death among individuals ages 20-39. As described in Chapter 6- Health Resources of the Community Health Assessment, the capacity of behavioral health providers in Henderson County is stretched, limiting the total number of individuals that can receive care and treatment.
Partners
The Henderson County Behavioral Health Summit is the action team responsible for addressing mental health in our community. The organizations and individuals that make up the Henderson County Partnership for Health and Henderson County Behavioral Health Summit will address this priority collectively. These partners include:
- AdventHealth Hendersonville
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Blue Ridge Community Health Services
- Children and Family Resource Center
- Community Foundation of Henderson County
- Council on Aging, Henderson County
- Crossnore Communities for Children
- Department of Juvenile Justice
- Family Preservation Services
- Henderson County Department of Public Health
- Henderson County Department of Social Services
- Henderson County Public Schools
- Henderson County Sheriff's Office
- Hendersonville Pediatrics
- Hendersonville Police Department
- Hope Coalition
- MAHEC
- NC Courts
- Pardee UNC HealthCare
- Safelight
- Sparc Foundation
- The Free Clinics
- Thrive
- United Way of Henderson County
- Vaya Health
- WNC Source
- Youth Villages
HNC2030 Alignment
Mental Health and the related result, "All people in Henderson County are resilient, supported, healthy and productive", are aligned with the following Healthy NC 2030 health indicators and desired results:
- Adverse Childhood Experiences- Improve child well-being
- Suicide Rate- Improve access and treatment for mental health needs
What works to do better?
The Behavioral Heath Summit is the action team responsible for addressing mental health, as a Community Health Assessment prioirty, in Henderson County. The group is led by the Henderson County Behavioral Health System Coordinator who convenes partners to identify gaps and strategies. The partners that make up the Behavioral Health Summit met in August 2022 to collectively identify actions that may improve mental health outcomes in our community. Working through a modified Results Based Accountability Whole Distance Exercise, the Summit members brainstormed actionable items that have evidence to support their effectiveness, have already bubbled up within the group, require an intentionally collaborative approach, and/or are from people who are most affected by the issue. After presenting all possible strategies/ideas, the group utilized dot-voting to select strategies that have the highest potentional to positively impact the selected indicators.
The following actions have been identified by the Behavioral Health Summit as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on Mental Health.
(A) Actions and approaches identified by our partners. These are actions and approaches that we think can make a difference for mental health.
- Addition of after-hours care, especially evenings
- Include people with lived experience in Behavioral Health Summit
- More intensive outpatient programs for all ages
- Community Health Workers
- Mental Health Center with evidence-based trainings
- Infrastructure around MAT services
- Community Education, prevention, and advocacy
- Mental Health Resource Navigator
- Pre-crisis Intervention
- Community Trainings
- Rehab/Detox in Detention Center
- Recovery Court
- Chronic Care Management
- Increase access to Behavioral Health providers
- “Apple Corps”- Teaching fellowship for social workers, psychologists, therapists, etc.
- Community Paramedic
- Youth Mental Health Education
(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.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Living Road Maps. (This started as a task force, but may be better served as an online Resource Tool)
- Trauma Sensitive Schools Training
- School-based therapists and crisis-counselors
- Substance Use Navigator at the Detention Center and P.O.R.T. Program
- Henderson ACEs, Resilience and Trauma (HART) Coalition
- After-hours Crisis Task Force (now transitioning into the Henderson County Crisis Collaborative)
(C) Evidence-based strategies. These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on mental health.
- Providing community-based, pre-crisis and crisis services (going to the client). Community Paramedic/ Co-responder programs; home-based and school-based interventions.
- Peer Support. Trained people with lived experience connect with people in need of support.
- Mental Health First Aid/ Resilience Training/ Trauma-informed care. Teaching children, families, employees, etc. resilience tools and trauma-informed interventions
Progress in 2023
In 2023, members of the Behavioral Health Summit collaborated to address mental health in the community. This Action Team has had a shift in focus, due to local incidents and data. Henderson County had three completed youth suicides in 2023. 177 emergency department visits from youth ages 11—17 years old for behavioral health, 110 of those listed suicidal ideation. Youth behavioral and mental health resources and response will be the focus in 2024. Even with a shift of focus, programs, and partnerships such as the HART subcommittee and WNC Trauma Resilient Communities Project will continue throughout 2024.
Henderson County Schools offered several Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) trainings with 174 participants. YMHFA teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. This YMFA training opportunity will continue throughout the Spring 2024.
Crisis Response Collaborative (CRC) continued to meet throughout 2023, improving communication between stakeholders, and to assess the availability and quality of crisis and early prevention services in Henderson County. The CRC has been successful in understanding gaps and addressing staffing needs across agencies.
Hope Coalition, local law enforcement and Henderson County Public Schools continued and expanded Handle with Care. Handle with Care is a trauma-sensitive curricula to support students who have been exposed to a traumatic event, if needed, this response allows for immediate mental health care for the student. To increase awareness and use of Handle with Care, a short training video was created, along with distributing Handle with Care reminder stickers.
This Action Team along with other community partners offered several new initiatives throughout 2023 with a focus on mental health.
- Mental Health Awareness Signage Campaign – Children & Family Resource Center (CFRC) teamed up with the Partnership For Health to develop 240 colorful yard signs with positive messages like “You are seen and loved” and “You are worth so much.”
- Sesame Street in Communities— Emotional Toolkit; Eating Well Toolkit; Resilience Toolkit
Smart Start Partnership for Children Henderson County and Henderson County Department of Public Health distributed 75 English and 55 Spanish toolkits. - Zen Dens—Innovative Approaches created a safe space to provide respite for children with special health care needs during events.
ViewFromHereWNC View From Here - Henderson County Social Media Campaign (Facebook & Instagram) August 7, 2023—September 29, 2023
In 2023, Henderson County joined the #ViewFromHereWNC social media campaign led by the WNC Health Communicators Collaborative. The ad campaign addresses several health priorities in Henderson County, including mental health, substance misuse, and physical activity/nutrition. Geo-targeted ads, which featured Western North Carolina residents, garnered 60,600 impressions, 1,549 ad clicks, 44,659 video plays, and 21,568 engagements in Henderson County’s first cycle. Initial online survey results showed 62% of respondents found the ads helpful and 72% sought more information on the health topics. The next campaign cycle starts in spring 2024.
Mental Health:
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? Take a slow, deep breath for three seconds, then breathe out for six seconds to reset your nervous system. For extra support, reach out to a local professional in Henderson County. #ViewFromHereWNC
Reach: 9,048
Clicks: 535
Impressions: 19,405
Video Plays: 14,228
Post Engagements: 6,952
Importance
What information led to the selection of this health issue and related result?
Obesity was selected as a top health priority in the 2012 and 2015 CHAs. In the 2018 CHA, the priority was instead renamed to physical activity and nutrition. Evidence shows that physical activity and making good nutritional choices can have a positive impact on obesity and on many of the chronic diseases that obesity contributes to. What we have always talked about when working on “obesity” as a priority was physical activity and nutrition. As depicted to the right, four of the top five leading causes of death in Henderson County have physical activity and nutrition as a risk factor. Further, various disparities are observed within each of these leading causes of death. Equitable actions to address physical activity and nutrition could have a postive impact on disease outcomes and disproportionally affected groups.
In 2021, about 21% of adults in Henderson County reported participating in no leisure-time physical activity in the past month. Just over 26% of survey respondents self-reported meeting the physical activity recommendations of greater than or equal to 150 minutes of moderate-aerobic physical activity per week. Only 4.6% of adults in Henderson County reported consuming the recommended amounts (five or more 1-cup servings) of fruits/vegetables per day.
Overall, 17.2% of adults in Henderson County are food insecure, meaning they ran out of food in the past year and/or worried about running out of food in the past year. When disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 41.5% of Hispanic adults were classified as food insecure, as compared to 18.9% of non-Hispanic, Black adults and 14.9% of non-Hispanic, White adults.
Partners
The Henderson County Committee for Action and Nutrition is the action team responsible for addressing healthy eating and active living in our community. The organizations and individuals that make up the Henderson County Partnership for Health and the Henderson County Committee for Activity and Nutrition will address this priority collectively. These partners include:
- AdventHealth Hendersonville
- Bearwallow Valley Farms
- Blue Ridge Bicycle Club
- Blue Ridge Community Health Services
- Blue Ridge Humane Society
- Caja Solideria
- Children and Family Resource Center
- City of Hendersonville
- Conserving Carolina
- Council on Aging
- Friends of Ecusta Trail
- Friends of Oklawaha
- Henderson County Cooperative Extension
- Henderson County Department of Public Health
- Henderson County Parks & Recreation
- Henderson County Public Schools
- Henderson County Department of Social Services
- Hendersonville Farmers Market
- Hendersonville Family YMCA
- Interfaith Assistance Ministries
- MANNA
- Mills River Farmer's Market
- Pardee UNC Health Care
- Safelight
- Smart Start Partnership for Children
- Tierra Fertil Co-op
- The Free Clinics
- United Way of Henderson County
- WNC Source
Additionally, through a participatory budgeting process, community members with lived experience were invited to join CAN as Delegates. The Delegates are important partners in identifying what works to do better in Henderson County.
HNC2030 Alignment
Physical Activity & Nutrition and the related result, "Healthy eating and safe, active living are the norm for everyone in Henderson County", are aligned with the following Healthy NC 2030 health indicators and desired results:
- Access to Exercise Opportunities- Increase physical activity
- Limited Access to Healthy Food- Improve access to healthy food
What works to do better?
The Committee for Activity and Nutrition (CAN) is the action team responsible for addressing physical activity and nutrition, as a Community Health Assessment prioirty, in Henderson County. The group is lead by a Coordinator (supported by the Healthy People Healthy Carolinas grant) who convenes stakeholders to identify gaps and strategies. The partners that make up CAN meet quarterly, with workgroups to address identified strategies meeting monthly.
In September 2022, CAN met to collectively identify actions that may improve opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy foods in our community. The group walked through a root cause analysis using SHOWeD to develop their understanding of the indicators, and propose strategies for changing policies, systems, and environments that impact nutrition and health. These identifed strateigies are listed in section A below.
The following actions have been identified by CAN as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on physical activity and nutrition.
(A) Actions and approaches identified by our partners. These are actions and approaches that we think can make a difference for physical activity and nutrition.
- Community block parties
- "Pop-up" shop with healthy foods or cooking utensils
- Promote EFNEP cooking classes and meals
- Community Resource Board
- Culturally diverse activities related to physical activity and nutrition
- Shared funding and resources
- Family Greenway walks
- Buddy system for exercise
- Education on staying active in the home
- Shared family meals
- Community Dinners in trusted community centers
(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 physical activity and nutrition.
- Equitable community engagement
- Participatory budgeting
- Healthy food prescriptions
- Doubling SNAP at Farmers Markets
- Cooperative food purchasing
- Nutrition Education
- Cooking Demonstrations
- MANNA Mobile Markets
- Kids in Parks/Track Trails
- Implementing the Greenway Master Plan
- Support for gardening/active recess in classrooms
- Bike helmet initiative
(C) Evidence-based strategies. These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on physical activity and nutrition.
- Active recess/physically active classrooms
- Community gardens
- Complete streets and streetscape design
- EBT at Farmers Markets
- Food Buying Clubs & Co-ops
- Fruit and vegetable gleaning
- Mobile produce markets
- Nutrition prescriptions
- Safe Routes to Schools
- Bike & Pedestrian Master Plans
(D) What community members most affected say. These are the actions and approaches recommended by members of our community who are most affected by access to opportunities for physical activity and healthy foods.
- Community Dinners
- Youth Cooking Demonstrations
- BIPOC/Free Farmers Market model
- Multi-cultural events at Farmers Markets
Progress in 2023
The Committee for Activity and Nutrition (CAN) continued to meet throughout 2023 and worked on the strategies and programs. In addition to these strategies, Henderson County had several new and continuing initiaitives that have a focus on physical activity and nutrition. Jackson Park, an inclusive playground, was completed and open to the public in 2023. The Children and Family Resource Center continued the GLO Mobile.
New for 2023:
- Sesame Street in Communities - Eating Well Toolkit
Smart Start Partnership for Children Henderson County and Henderson County Department of Public Health partnered to distribute 75 English and 55 Spanish toolkits. This initiative also included Emotional Toolkit and Resilience Toolkit. - Seed Library
NC Cooperative Extension Henderson County and Henderson County Public Library distributed 977 seed packets. Program will continue in 2024 - Ecusta Trail Phase 1 Completed
- Farmer's Market Passport
For more information on Henderson County's Farmer's Markets click HERE. - Senior Farm Market Nutrition Program @ Mills River Farmers Market
- View From Here Social Media Campaign
ViewFromHereWNC View From Here - Henderson County Social Media Campaign (Facebook & Instagram) August 7, 2023—September 29, 2023
In 2023, Henderson County joined the #ViewFromHereWNC social media campaign led by the WNC Health Communicators Collaborative. The ad campaign addresses several health priorities in Henderson County, including mental health, substance misuse, and physical activity/nutrition. Geo-targeted ads, which featured Western North Carolina residents, garnered 60,600 impressions, 1,549 ad clicks, 44,659 video plays, and 21,568 engagements in Henderson County’s first cycle. Initial online survey results showed 62% of respondents found the ads helpful and 72% sought more information on the health topics. The next campaign cycle starts in spring 2024.
Healthy Eating & Active Living:
One of Isabel’s favorite childhood memories was watching her mother cook. Do you crave fresh, delicious meals? Nourish yourself with local food at your neighborhood farmer’s market in Henderson County. #ViewFromHereWNC
Reach: 8,724
Clicks: 549
Impressions: 20,232
Video Plays: 16,167
Post Engagements: 7,423
Partners
The Sustaining Double SNAP Working Group (a sub-group of the Committee for Activity and Nutrition) is collaborating to advocate for and fund Double SNAP in Henderson County. Partners for this strategy include:
- Mills River Farm Market (lead)
- Hendersonville Farmers Market (lead)
- Bearwallow Valley Farm (lead)
- Caja Solidaria (support)
- Henderson County Department of Public Health (support)
- Henderson County Cooperative Extension- Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (support)
What is it?
Double SNAP at Farmers Markets was identified by Henderson County Committee for Activity and Nutrition as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable change of making a difference in physical activity and nutrition in Henderson County. This is an ongoing program in our community.
SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a program that reduces household food insecurity and supports local agriculture by increasing the purchasing power of low-income Americans. Most SNAP participants are children. SNAP can be used to purchase fruits, vegetables, bread, dairy, meat, eggs, and plants that grow food at farmers markets and grocery stores. Doubling SNAP at markets encourages SNAP participants to invest their SNAP benefits in the local community and gives them access to healthy fresh foods.
The customers for this strategy are SNAP participants, and the program aims to make a difference at the individual and community levels. Implementation will take place at the Hendersonville Farmers Market, Mills River Farmers Market, and Bearwallow Valley Farm.
Progress in 2022
Double SNAP programs in Henderson County were supported by grant funding up until 2022. Through two successful policy campaigns over the past year, CAN members successfully obtained municipal funding for doubling SNAP both in the City of Hendersonville and the Town of Mills River. In total, $90,000 in American Rescue Plan dollars was committed to the Mills River Farm Market over a 3-year period, and $15,000 in City of Hendersonville funding for the Hendersonville Farmers Market.
"It's a win-win," Mills River Mayor Shannon Gonce said about using ARPA, federal COVID19 recovery money, to bolster the farmers market.
https://carolinapublicpress.org/55067/sustaining-local-farmers-with-creative-arpa-funds-application/
Progress in 2023
The Double SNAP program had continued success through 2023 at Mills River and Hendersonville Farmer's Markets. Two additional Farmer's Market initiatives started in 2023. The Senior Farm Market at Mills River had 7 farmers participating and they hope to continue the program in 2024. Partnership with the Henderson County Cooperative Extension added in Farmer Market Passport program. Those who returned the passport to the Extension office received a seed starter kit and/or a recipe cookbook.
Dollar amount spent in 2023 for healthy local foods will be updated as data is reported. Healthy local foods include items such as fruits and vegetables and doesn't include meats, sweats, treats and drinks.
Partners
The Produce Rx Working Group (a sub-group of the Committee for Activity and Nutrition) meets monthly to develop and implement produce prescription programs in Henderson County. Partners for this strategy include:
- Caja Solidaria (lead)
- Mills River Farm Market (collaborate)
- Hendersonville Farmers Market (collaborate)
- Bearwallow Valley Farms (collaborate)
- YMCA of WNC (collaborate)
- Healthcare providers (collaborate)
- Appalachain Sustainable Agriculture Project (support)
- NC Medicaid Pre-Paid Health Plans (support)
- MANNA Food Bank (support)
- TRACTOR Food (support)
What is it?
Healthy Food Prescriptions was identified by the Committee for Activity and Nutrition as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in physical activity and nutrition in Henderson County. This is a new program in our community.
Health care providers can help to prevent and manage chronic disease by encouraging healthy eating. Food prescriptions allow providers to direct their patients towards foods that support their health goals. When food is free or covered by health insurance, providers feel confident that all their patients can follow their recommendations. A new initiative, Food is Medicine, started in January 2022. Two organizations collaborated to bring produce prescriptions to Henderson County- TRACTOR purchased foods and Caja Solidaria distributed.
Further, North Carolina is engaged in an effort to transform health by using Medicaid dollars to pay for the underlying reasons people struggle to be healthy through the Healthy Opportunities Pilot. In Henderson County, Caja Solidaria, MANNA Food Bank, ASAP, and the YMCA of WNC are all able to provide Healthy Food Boxes or Produce Prescriptions to Medicaid members through the Pilot. Learn more here: https://cajasolidaria.org/produce-rx/
The customers for Healthy Food Prescriptions are qualified Medicaid recipients and their families, and the strategy aims to make a difference at the individual and organizational levels. Implementation will take place within the various organizations described above.
Progress in 2022
Caja Solidaria piloted three produce prescription programs in 2022. View Caja Solidaria's 2022 Annual Report for greater detail about the organization's programs, initiatives, and future goals.
Progress in 2023
Henderson County participated in the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP), which continued through 2023. Through HOP, various organizations offered Healthy Food Boxes and Produce Prescriptions. The customers for Healthy Food Prescriptions are qualified Medicaid recipients and their families. The strategy aims to make a difference at the individual and organizational levels. Caja Solidaria fulfilled 558 Produce Prescriptions in 2023. Mills River Farmer's Market also participated and gave out $1,616 in fresh fruits and vegetables as part of HOP.
Partners
The Nutrition Education Working Group (a sub-group of the Committee for Activity and Nutrition) is developing a resource directory of nutrition education resources in our community, as well as supporting nutrition and cooking education classes. Partners for expanding nutrition and cooking education in Henderson County include:
- Henderson County Cooperative Extension (lead)
- Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas (support)
- Henderson County Department of Public Health (collaborate)
What is it?
Nutrition and Cooking Education was identified by the Committee for Activity and Nutrition as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in physical activity and nutrition in Henderson County. This is an ongoing program in our community.
Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas and Henderson County Cooperative Extension collaborated to create and fund an Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) position. This position was filled in November 2021 and is responsible for conducting nutrition and cooking education classes for all ages throughout the community. Classes are free and focus on diffent aspects of healthy living including using fresh produce, kitchen safety, saving money at the store, finding affordable fresh local foods, physical activity, and more.
The customers for this strategy are children and families, and the program aims to make a difference at the individual and interpersonal levels. Implementation will take place in various locations in Henderson County.
Progress in 2022
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) hosted a variety of FREE nutrition and cooking education classes throughout 2022, engaging families, adults and children. Classes with differing focuses were offered at various times/days throughout the year. Youth were particularly engaged through a partnership with Henderson County Public Schools and EFNEP Summer Camps. Learn more about EFNEP's program offerings in 2022 HERE.
Progress in 2023
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNP) hosted a variety of free nutrition and cooking education classes throughout 2023, engaging families, adults and children. Classes with differing focuses were offered at various times and days throughout the year. Youth were particularly engaged through a partnership with Henderson County Public Schools and EFNEP Summer Camps. In 2023 the program was extended to two Head Start facilities and several Henderson County Library locations. Learn more about EFNEP's program offerings HERE.
Importance
What information led to the selection of this health issue and related result?
Substance misuse has been identified as a top priority in the 2012, 2015, and 2018 Community Health Assessments. Social attitudes and political and legal responses to the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs make substance misuse one of the most complex public health issues. Unintentional opioid overdose deaths in Henderson County have been steadily increasing yearly, now standing at 26.4 deaths per 100,000 residents. This accounts for deaths by all types opioids. However, illicit substances such as heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are increasingly contributing to overdose deaths. In 2020, 83.9% of all overdose deaths in Henderson County were contributed to illicit opioid involvement.
Unintentional injury, which includes unintentional poisoning and drug overdose, is the third leading cause of death overall in Henderson County and the first leading cause of death among residents ages 20-29. The unintentional injury and unintentional poisoning mortality rate trends per 100,000 population have been increasing in Henderson County, the region and the state since 2010, pointing to substance misuse as a leading cause.
Partners
The Hope Coalition Stakeholders (formally HopeRx) make up the action team responsible for addressing substance misuse in Henderson County. In an effort to have a unified approach to reduce opioid and substance use in the county, in Spring 2022 the Henderson County Commissioners also elected to re-engage the Henderson County Substance Abuse Task Force. The Task Force, an appointed group of community leaders and community members with lived experience, was first gathered in 2018. At that time, the group presented recommendations via the Task Force on Substance Abuse Report for how to use county funds to address root causes of substance misuse. The group was modified and re-engaged in 2022 to present recommendations for effectively spending the Opioid Settlement Litigation Funds in Henderson County.
The organizations and individuals that make up the Henderson County Partnership for Health, Hope Coalition Stakeholder group, and the Henderson County Substance Abuse Task Force are addressing this priority collectively. These partners include:
- AdventHealth Hendersonville
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Blue Ridge Community Health Services
- Blue Ridge Literacy Council
- City of Hendersonville
- Council on Aging, Henderson County
- Crossnore Communities for Children
- Family Preservation Services
- First Contact Addiction Ministries
- Henderson County Department of Public Health
- Henderson County Department of Social Services
- Henderson County Public Schools
- Henderson County Sheriff's Office
- Hope Coalition
- MAHEC
- NC Harm Reduction Coalition
- Pardee UNC Health Care
- The Free Clinics
- Thrive
- True Ridge
- United Way of Henderson County
- VAYA
- WNC Source
- Community members: Dr. Medina, Stephen Mace, Jason Harris
HNC2030 Alignment
Substance Misuse and the related result, "Residents of Henderson County are free from substance misuse", are aligned with the following Healthy NC 2030 health indicators and desired results:
- Drug Overdose Deaths- Decrease drug overdose deaths
- Tobacco Use- Decrease tobacco use
- Excessive Drinking- Decrease excessive drinking
What works to do better?
The following actions have been identified by the Hope Coalition and Henderson County Substance Use Taskforce as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on Substance Misuse.
(A) Actions and approaches identified by our partners. These are actions and approaches that our partners think can make a differene on substance misuse.
- Action to be identified in future planning meeting
(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 substance misuse.
- Diversion Control (drug take-back events)
- Prevention and Education Programs- We are Hope Week
- Peer Support and Recovery Groups
- Tobacco Control Policies
- Handle with Care
- Naloxone Distribution
- Substance Use Navigation
- Community Trainings
- Post-Overdose Response Team
- Medication-Assisted Treatment
(C) Evidence-based strategies. These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on substance misuse.
- See list above. Many of these strategies are also evidence-based.
Progress in 2022
The Substance Use Action Team, led by Hope Coalition through most of 2022, serves as the shared space for addressing substance misuse in Henderson County.
Hope Coalition's Recovery Community Center (RCC) opened its doors in August 2022 as a peer living room dedicated to adults in recovery. The Center is a safe space for individuals recovering from substance misuse and other traumas to find support. The RCC has had a significant impact already, connecting clients with housing, transportation, and job placement. The Action Team continued education, prevention and recovery through drug take-back events, naloxone distribution, and support groups.
Moving forward, a top concern for the Action Team is informing how Henderson County's portion of the Opioid Litigation Settlement funds will be spent. Over the past year, stakeholders identified four priority areas for spending from the list of allowable activities. Through action planning in early 2023, led by the REAL Academy, specific initiatives within each of these priority areas will be selected and funded.
Progress in 2023
The Substance Misuse Action Team serves as the shared space for addressing substance misuse in Henderson County and has a variety of participants, representing a well-rounded group of professionals and individuals with lived experience. This Action Team provides support for the Opioid Settlement Funding strategic plan, offers collaboration and an opportunity to serve and contribute.
A strategic plan for Henderson County’s portion of the Opioid Litigation Settlement has been completed, through action planning in 2023, led by the REAL Academy. The strategic plan has identified specific initiatives within each of these priority areas to be funded. The Substance Misuse Action Team will work on using that strategic plan to decide on program measures and how the data will be collected for each strategy in 2024. This information will be updated throughout 2024.
ViewFromHereWNC View From Here - Henderson County: Social Media Campaign (Facebook & Instagram) August 7, 2023—September 29, 2023
In 2023, Henderson County joined the #ViewFromHereWNC social media campaign led by the WNC Health Communicators Collaborative. The ad campaign addresses several health priorities in Henderson County, including mental health, substance misuse, and physical activity/nutrition. Geo-targeted ads, which featured Western North Carolina residents, garnered 60,600 impressions, 1,549 ad clicks, 44,659 video plays, and 21,568 engagements in Henderson County’s first cycle. Initial online survey results showed 62% of respondents found the ads helpful and 72% sought more information on the health topics. The next campaign cycle starts in spring 2024.
Substance Misuse
You could be the hope someone needs. If you have a friend, family member, or loved one experiencing substance misuse, reach out for support today in Henderson County. #ViewFromHereWNC
Reach: 9,344
Clicks: 465
Impressions: 20.963
Video Plays: 14,264
Post Engagements: 7,193
Importance
What information led to the selection of this health issues and related result?
Interpersonal violence, which includes the sub-categories of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, was identified as a new health priority in the 2021 CHA. Interpersonal violence affects people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religious affiliations, or economic class. Survivors of interpersonal violence may experience physical pain, in addition to mental distress and reduced quality of life. Further, children and adolescents exposed to violence are at risk of poor long-term behavioral and mental health. Addressing interpersonal violence as a health priority may help prevent and reduce the harms to individual and community health and well-being.
Partners
The Survivor Supported Taskforce was established in early 2022 as a community collaborative to identify gaps and strategies to address Interpersonal Violence in our community. Members of this group/partners with a role to plan in addressing Interpersonal Violence in Henderson County include:
- AdventHealth Hendersonville
- Blue Ridge Health
- Children and Family Resource Center
- Council for Women & Youth Involvement
- Council on Aging
- Crossnore Communities for Children
- Fletcher Police
- Henderson County DA
- Henderson County DSS
- Henderson County Department of Public Health
- Henderson County Public Schools
- Henderson County Sheriffs Office
- Hendersonville Police Department
- Hope Coalition
- Laurel Park Police
- Meditation Center
- Pardee UNC Health Care
- Pisgah Legal Services
- Safelight, Inc.
- The Free Clinics
- TIP National
- True Ridge
HNC2030 Alignment
Interpersonal Violence is aligned with the following Healthy NC 2030 health indicator and desired result:
- Adverse Childhood Experiences- Improve child well-being
Story Behind the Curve
The "story behind the curve" helps us understand why the data on interpersonal violence is the way that it is in our community. When we understand the root causes of our community problems, we have a better chance of finding the right solutions, together.
What's helping? These are the postive forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.
- Community partnerships
- Henderson County Survivor Supported Taskforce
- Connection to resources for substance use disorder and mental health
- 24-hour crisis line
- Child Advocacy Center
- Support groups
- Job training
- Increasing awareness
What's hurting? These are the negative forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.
- Inability to afford care/services
- Perception of the issue(s)
- Prevalence of the issue(s)
- Underreporting due to feelings of shame, fear, privacy concerns
- Lack of bilingual and/or spanish-speaking first responders
Progress in 2022
Interpersonal Violence (IPV) was selected as a new priority in the 2021 CHA. The IPV Action Team, co-chaired by leadership from Safelight and Pisgah Legal, met quarterly through 2022 to establish membership, align resources, and understand gaps in serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Collaboration in 2022 included the Lethality Assessment Program, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, expansion of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and the Phoenix Project, a partnership between The Free Clinics and Safelight to support vulnerable community members. The Action Team will undergo further planning in Spring 2023
Progress in 2023
Interpersonal Violence and Abuse (IPVA) was selected as a new priority in the 2021 CHA. The IPVA Action Team, co-chaired by leadership from Safelight and Pisgah Legal Services, meets quarterly since 2021. In 2023 they met to establish strategies; align, share, and update on resources; and understand gaps in serving survivors of interpersonal violence and abuse.
Collaboration in 2023 included the sharing of information related to Lethality Assessment Program, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, expansion of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and the Phoenix Project, a partnership between The Free Clinics and Safelight to support vulnerable community members. The Action Team identified four strategies for 2024—2025.
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