CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Virtual town hall will help steer mental health funding

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - 6/6/2020

Jun. 5--It's time for Walla Walla County residents to speak up about how behavioral health funding is being spent.

To facilitate that discussion in the time of coronavirus, Walla Walla County'sDepartment of Community Health will record a town hall-style meeting as panelists answer submitted questions.

This is the first such meeting to prioritize how mental health dollars are being used, said prevention specialist Peggy Needham from the public health department.

"This is a way to get more community involvement about these tax dollars and to allow any mental health providers new to Walla Walla to look at how those dollars can serve patients," Needham said.

In 2012, Walla Walla County commissioners approved a one-tenth of 1% sales tax to expand a variety of mental health services in the county, including more local chemical dependency treatment and drug court.

Now community health leaders want to learn if people needing mental health care are getting appropriately served, Needham said.

She anticipates questions will include: How is telehealth working out? How long is it taking to get a mental health appointment? What will the funding situation look like with the impact of COVID-19? And what services do people need that aren't yet being provided?

Ideally, there would be a room filled with people asking such questions and getting answers, Needham said.

Since that can't happen at this time, the plan is for the county's Behavioral Health Council members to be recorded as they answer questions sent in from participants, including health providers and folks who use the services.

The video will then be available for viewing on the Department of Community Health's website and social media pages. As well, panelists will answer any questions they can't get to during the filming and make that follow-up document available, Needham said.

To view the panel presentation, go to ubne.ws/3cAhhsT.

Both the town hall video and any followup documents will be available at ubne.ws/2TepePQ.

We need to say comments are due by noon Tuesday, at Peggy Needham, pneedham@co.walla-walla.wa.us

Sheila Hagar can be reached at sheilahagar@wwub.com or 509-526-8322.

___

(c)2020 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.)

Visit Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.) at union-bulletin.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.