In Dutchess County and all over the United States, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Even while faced with increasing demands due in part to the stress and isolation of the pandemic, Dutchess County mental health initiatives have kept pace to ensure proper support for adults, children, and those with more complex needs.
“There is always someone here to connect with you. By dialing 988, you can have 24-hour access to a mental health professional,” emphasizes Jean-Marie Niebuhr, Director of Community Services for the Dutchess County Department for Behavioral and Community Health, “There is always someone here.”
Omnipresence in the community is the main goal of Dutchess County’s many mental health programs, meant to serve people wherever they may be—both mentally and physically. In 2023, Dutchess County launched the LEAD program, which stands for Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, which aims to keep those with unmet behavioral health needs out of the carceral system and in the proper mental care they need.
In conjunction with the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the LEAD program aims to connect individuals with a case manager with a very small caseload, designed to provide intensive support in whichever physical location one may find themselves in. “So if they're in the homeless shelter, they can work with them there,” said Ms. Niebuhr, “There's no expectation that that individual would have to come to us for an appointment. We're going out to them.” The program has been wildly successful, boasting countless stories of individuals engaging in treatment for the first time or proactively seeking help. The program has greatly exceeded community expectations.
However, the integrity of the program comes with high operational costs. Dutchess County has started to partner with other community based organizations, such as PeopleUSA. These partnerships seek to combat the largest obstacle, says Niebuhr, in combating both Dutchess County’s and the larger United States’s mental health crisis, a staffing issue. “We don't necessarily have the amount of providers that we need,” she says, “As a result, it's putting a lot of strain on the system, and it's also resulting in people not getting the help that they need.” PeopleUSA has taken the lead in staffing the LEAD program, as it undergoes expansion to incorporate more providers for more citizens.
Above all, feedback from the community has taken priority when it comes to new initiatives and policies. “I rely on data and listen to people’s viewpoints to engage in meaningful conversations and find common ground,” Niebuhr says. Emphasis is placed on the public forums held four times per year in order to garner constructive feedback from those receiving mental health services. While in years past, the forums have been concentrated in one location, this year, forums will be spread out all over Dutchess County in order to optimize the number of community members in attendance. Furthermore, Dutchess County has partnered with a local organization which provides Spanish interpretation via an earpiece in order to combat a previously strong language barrier.
Each forum focuses upon a different topic in the realm of mental healthcare concentrating specifically on adult mental health, youth mental health, and how to help those dealing with substance abuse, or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The county greatly values the feedback from all members of the community, placing a strong additional emphasis on youth involvement in policy-making. By joining an existing youth advisory board and engaging with the New York State Office of Mental Health’s youth advisory board, Dutchess County ensures that youth voices are heard and considered in policy decisions. “Individuals know themselves best, and their feedback is invaluable,” Niebuhr asserts.
When asked for a general message she would send to those in Dutchess County, she highlighted the importance of the Dutchess County Helpline, available 24 hours a day by dialing 988. “If you need help and you need support, or if your friend or your family member or your loved one needs any kind of help or support, dial 988. You will get the Dutchess County Helpline and they will be able to assist you.”
The next mental health forum will be on Wednesday, June 5th at 5:30 pm at the Stissing Mountain High School Cafeteria.
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