AnonymousSource: County of Santa Barbara
Globally and nationally, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new challenges for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. In order to ascertain and respond to needs locally, the County of Santa Barbara, in partnership with community mental health and wellness partners and stakeholders, is seeking input to help determine mental health and substance use disorder services to meet the needs of our community.
The whole community is invited to respond to a short 10- to 15-minute survey during September. Data gathered through the survey will be used to identify and tailor services to meet the needs of community members. The survey is available electronically in English and Spanish, and on the County’s website at recoverysbc.org/covidrecovery/. You can also click on the inage. The survey will also be conducted in the field by service providers for populations less likely to have access to an electronic survey.
In June, the County Board of Supervisors authorized the use of federal ARPA funding (American Rescue Plan Act) to expedite an assessment of mental health needs resulting from COVID 19, and to develop a plan to initiate identified priority services in conjunction with partners to promote recovery and resiliency in individuals and our overall community.
“Isolation, quarantine, remote learning, business impacts and physical distancing has impacted everyone; some more than others,” said Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, PIO/Chief Quality Care and Strategy Officer for the County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness. “It is critical that necessary supports to address the unique impacts of COVID-19 are in place in a timely manner to help our community through recovery. We could not be more appreciative of the County Board of Supervisors for recognizing a need to address whole-community mental health and supporting this collaborative effort.”
The process is being led by the County Department of Behavioral Wellness and the Community Wellness Team, along with a broad stakeholder group that provided input on the assessment processes including key populations and targeted outreach strategies. The survey was developed with assistance from mental health experts from UCSB to assure efficacy. The survey includes questions from the 2019 Cottage Health Population Health Survey, and from previous children’s mental health surveys.
Data from this survey will be reviewed and compared against previous surveys. A separate survey designed to assess the impact of the pandemic on children ages 0-5 is under development, and will be sent out at a later date.
Collaborative community partners include those listed below.
For more information about the process and recovery plan, the public may contact Suzanne Grimmesey at suzkirk@sbcbwell.org.
I don’t agree with RHS. Looks to me like they are genuinely interested in developing more ways to help people who are anxious or depressed around Covid. Most of the questions were related to the respondent’s own mental and emotional responses to what’s going on, trying to discover if there’s a need for more community support. They can’t know unless they ask if people are hurting.
Mtndriver, my point is they are looking for proof that the need is there. They wrote the questions to get that result. They will now get funding for this work when other needs are neglected. I doubt sincerely that they are meeting the known needs as it is.
Too many taxpayer funded surveys of the “public” do ask questions that beg for pre-determined answers. Good observation, RHS.
Obvious and true: It’s targeted to confirm a position already in place, not determine the cost to anyone but community-supported receivers–and those whose jobs depend on taking care of that small proportion of the whole community. The formerly solvent middle-class, retirees–anyone who saved–faces massive inflation in costs and cynically manipulated interest rates that penalize savers and reward “high fliers”, cushioning their losses and escalating their wins. Trump learned that at his father’s knee and rode it into the White House. Whatever you think of him otherwise, he got the subvert and plunder system right.
Whose mental health is the most obviously screwed up ane will get increased subsidies, and who sucks it up and keeps on plodding, desperately trying to keep their heads above water, while not entitled to free mental health services or free anything, and paying for others to have what they cannot have after paying for the benefits of others?
This survey will be used to justify the massive expenditures of Homeless, Inc. and all the thousands of “workers” in layers of Government that “service” the non-productive members of society. Instead of offering opportunities for learning and engagement in positive activity, they encourage narcissism and self-pity and coddle the drug abusers and alcoholics.