Mental Health – When Help is Needed

The Solano County Department of Mental Health and Touro University announced the launch of a new resource that helps residents quickly find and access the more than 100 social and mental health services available to them at no charge.

The Solano Behavioral Health Services Department estimates that one out of every four Solano residents needs help with mental illness or substance abuse each year. But, with over one hundred health partners and county agencies spread among Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Dixon, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Rio Vista, it has been difficult for the average person to find where to go for help.

Under a grant, Touro University in Vallejo was charged with identifying the top ten needs of Solano County residents. In this 2018 survey, one of the top three greatest needs was how to find social and mental health services quickly and easily through the widespread maze of county agencies.

Today those agencies are centralized in one online application, as pictured below. The new mental health navigator is available for computers or smartphones/devices at https://SolanoConnex.org.

Using the navigator, bullied school kids, abused spouses, suicidal individuals, those suffering from depression, and many others, can click on any of the selections in the application and be anonymously directed to the right agency to get help.

According to Sarah Sweitzer, Touro Provost, and Chief Academic Officer, “this web app is a resource that anyone can use, whether you are a parent looking for emotional support, or someone experiencing feelings of depression and anxiety.”

Since 1984, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has conducted an annual telephone survey in all fifty states, speaking with one-half million random respondents to determine the level of our national “mental wellbeing.” Per the CDC, it includes “…our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we manage stress, relate to others, and make choices.”  Over the years, the annual CDC report, titled “Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System” has become invaluable to local and state governments. It helps determine constituents’ feelings of security and comfort. It aids public office holders in promoting and enhancing residents’ feelings of peace and security, improving incomes and opportunities, and nurturing family growth.

The report is a blueprint for government officials to identify needed services and policies within their communities and determine what is working well.