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Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Better Together - La Crosse County

In 2015, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicated a rise in the number of youth at risk for depression in La Crosse County, with an increase in the number of youth who reported having seriously considered suicide, a decrease in the number of youth who feel their teachers really care and give them encouragement, as well as a stark decrease in the number of students who feel like they belong in school. Better Together, a cross-sector coalition of community organizations and school districts, was formed to address the mental health needs identified in the region.
Better Together La Crosse County

Impact

With the belief that the community has a basic obligation to prepare its youth to lead healthy and productive lives, Better Together took a collective impact approach to improve youth mental health by building a framework centered around social-emotional learning for youth; community education of mental wellness, resilience and empathy; and data sharing across community organizations and local businesses. These community partners operated under a shared set of goals to promote an overall culture of mental wellness and normalize the topic of mental health in the community.

The coalition’s operations supported an environment where agencies, who once competed, now shared resources, promoted each other’s programs, and synchronized messaging to youth, their families, and the community at large.

Consisting of three strategy-specific teams, Better Together incorporates all sectors of the community – government, business, education, nonprofits, healthcare, faith, media, law enforcement, cultural group leaders, and people with lived experience – to guide the coalition’s mission. The coalition’s strategic approach involved leveraging its extensive reach to create these specialized workgroups, making the most of each sector’s expertise and unique experiences in direct youth engagement.

Social-Emotional Learning

Increased adoption and use of social-emotional learning by providing training, coaching, and support to school staff and youth-serving agencies.

Resilience Building

Conducted Mental Health First Aid trainings that build the capacity of informal support systems such as K-12 school staff, the faith community, non-profit staff/volunteers, caregivers, and employers to assist and respond to potential mental health challenges among youth, their families, and the community as a whole.

Data

Increased knowledge and awareness of youth and family needs among schools, youth-serving agencies, and local government entities through YRBS data collection, data reporting, and improved communication between the organizations who use this data.

Steering Committee Members

Government

  • La Crosse County Health Department
  • La Crosse County Human Services
  • La Crosse Police Department

Education

  • La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium
  • School District of La Crosse
  • School District of Holmen
  • University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
  • Viterbo University

Healthcare

  • Gundersen Health System

Community-Based Organizations

  • Great Rivers United Way Campaign to Change Direction
  • Boys and Girls Club of La Crosse
  • YMCA

Highlights/Select Work Product

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