Mental health is still a top issue that officials want to address with the latest Shawano-Menominee Counties Community Health Assessment following a meeting on the topic Aug. 17 at the College of Menominee Nation.
Health Director Nick Mau noted that almost 40 people, appearing in person and online, came together to discuss the issues. Just like with the last assessment done in 2019, he said mental health continues to be a problem where treatment seems very far away — either by physical distance or the long waiting lists to get into clinics.
Mental health was an issue years ago when the pandemic hit and people found themselves isolated and alone a lot of the time, but now mental health crises have shifted due to other things, such as an over-reliance on technology, according to Mau.
“There’s a lot more new wrinkles to the issue,” he said. “We’re more tied to our devices more than ever. That does bring people together in a way; we’re seeing in our youth risk factor surveys from the schools. Every single year the surveys are done, the kids are saying they’re feeling more anxious. More kids are saying they’re having suicidal thoughts and ideations. This mental health crisis is not getting any better, even though we have all these avenues through social media.”
Attempts to increase connections through technology have actually decreased them, Mau said.
Accessing mental health is also a problem, due to there being no mental health facilities in Shawano or Menominee counties. Those seeking to restore their mental health through treatment must often travel to larger metropolitan areas — sometimes Green Bay but oftentimes to Madison or Milwaukee. Those who do are often put on waiting lists.
“Even though the community is more aware at this point (about mental health) than they were five years ago, the stigma of mental health might be improving,” Mau said. “There’s still not the assets to address these issues.”
It helps that there are organizations like the National Association on Mental Illness, which were developed after the 2019 assessment. Mau said it has expanded and is dealing with a number of issues around mental health.
While there’s been no change in the priority of mental health, the other priorities to round out the top three have changed in the last seven years. Previously, drugs and alcohol have been near the top of the list, but the current assessment finds that transportation and housing are key barriers in preventing many people from getting the health care they need.
“When you’re looking at the data, you have to look at what resources are currently in place,” Mau said. “With AODA (Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse), since 2019 when we did the last assessment, there’s been a ton of work done in that space through the drug courts, the recovery center in Shawano, and now there’s a sober living house for both men and women that’s opened up to both counties.”
It doesn’t mean alcohol or drugs have become less of a problem, but with the added resources now available to combat addiction, more attention can be paid to other health problems, which is why transportation and housing are now rising he said.
“Transportation and housing, those are what we call social deterrents to help,” Mau said. “They’re not always something that the individual has a ton of control over. So helping look at those problems from a systems level — how can all these agencies and nonprofits come together to address the problems?”
Not having a way to get to and from doctor appointments or treatment sessions can affect a lot of other key health issues like chronic disease, accessing healthy foods and immunizations, Mau said.
“If people don’t have reliable transportation, it’s a moot point if there’s excellent care in the community or if there’s a really, really great farmers market,” he said. “If they can’t get there because of our really large rural geographic area, what difference does it make?”
For those who are more worried about having a vehicle to get to a job or don’t have reliable housing, self-care is the last thing on their minds, according to Mau.
“If somebody doesn’t have a roof over their head and reliable transportation, getting to a doctor’s visit or even making an appointment is not going to happen, because they might not even be worrying about that,” he said. “They’re worrying about, ‘Where am I going to sleep tonight?’”
Mental health often works hand in hand with transportation and housing barriers, Mau said. So when community health officials come together to work on solutions, he said they will need to come up with ones that develop assistance on all three issues.
“Instead of having three separate committees that are siloed, we’re taking a different approach to these problems rather than the old way,” Mau said.
Mau said the community input will be helpful when it comes to developing an actual plan to combat the issues over the next three to five years. He hopes a plan will be in place by the end of 2026 or in early 2027.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
