Building the Raft While Drowning: Searching for Mental Health Help & Hope in Rural America
Born out of a personal quest to understand and navigate the complicated system of behavioral health, podcast host and ND's Public Policy Ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Sarah Dixon-Hackey, offers listeners an opportunity to hear firsthand stories of providers and advocates working in the trenches of the mental health crisis. Guests are given a platform to share the ways they are making an impact, community resources for navigating behavioral health, and a better understanding of the ways in which public policy shapes our current system.
Building the Raft While Drowning: Searching for Mental Health Help & Hope in Rural America
Mental Health Matters: ND Crisis System Explained
In this episode, I visit with Statewide Clinician Leads and experts in the field of mental health and substance use, Tarah Cavett and Laura Gitter. Tarah and Laura provide consulting and leadership in North Dakota's ongoing work to improve and expand the existing system.
In our hour together, Laura and Tarah offer a closer look at the current structure of the crisis response system, the challenges of meeting the growing mental health crisis, and the ways in which the system supports ongoing efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health. Some of the issues/questions we discuss:
- What is the crisis response system?
- What can people expect when entering the crisis response system?
- What can be defined as a mental health or substance use crisis?
- What kinds of changes need to happen in the current system?
- How does 988 play a role in the crisis response system?
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988.