These communities identified wellness as an overall struggle, small communities and larger ones. Ensuring communities have access to mental health services was identified in one community while the other focused more on the overall health of its community members. These two communities worked towards breaking the stigma of seeking out help and adding more healthy experiences for a healthier Kansas.
Morton County’s mental health initiative aims to combat stigma in rural communities by providing diverse, confidential options, including in-person facilities and telehealth, to address rising suicide rates, substance abuse issues, and specific community needs such as opioid vulnerability. Identified barriers include staffing shortages and resistance from the school regarding a mentor program.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in collaboration with Childcare Aware, launched a project in Morton County to address mental health and substance abuse needs. This initiative established physical centers, prioritized suicide prevention, and aimed for community-wide education and support, emphasizing accountability through engagement with city and county officials.
The community-focused solution aimed to ensure accessible facilities for mental health services, addressing transportation and insurance barriers while closing service gaps. The project emphasized flexibility in team dynamics and leveraging diverse strengths, expanding resources from the provider to enhance project completion.
The project was supported at the grassroots level, through the Rural Champion grant, donations from employers, city, and foundations, along with other non-financial resources.
Morton County Champion – Mike Horton
The project is to provide a safe, confidential, unmanned place for rural community members to access mental health resources 24/7 with the use of telephones which directly dial hotlines, as well as access to Tele-Health. In a report from KDHE, Morton County is ranked 8th in the State for opioid vulnerability. Morton County is also subject to many suicides, primarily white, middle aged males, by firearm. By providing these “resource locations” we hope to create a place for community members to receive help while keeping confidentiality intact in order to fight the stigma about seeking help in a small town. The locations will have access to a range of resources including Mental Health providers, Physicians, Veteran Support, and Drug abuse support, an AED and other materials such as educational pamphlets with numbers and websites to different resources like food banks, clothing banks, Ministerial Alliance, AA Groups.
Our hope is to bridge the gap in wait time for in-person professionals and save lives of those who will not seek help in person at our emergency facilities due to fear of judgement. Our Community coalition is made up of several specialty areas throughout the County and all agree this issue is top priority in Morton County; but are faced with the problem of time and money. Having a Champion enables us to address the concerns of several entities without stretching our volunteers and full-time employees more than they are already.
Follow and support this project
Independence, with a focus on population retention and business recruitment, aims to address the need for additional outdoor recreation venues to improve overall lifestyle. The project, responding to the closure of the primary local gym, focuses on enhancing existing areas and creating new outdoor spaces, particularly trails, with the goal of fostering a healthier and happier community, complementing existing initiatives such as the Central Park Sports Complex and a trail for hiking and biking.
The Champion of the project demonstrated significant progress by engaging the community through speaking engagements and social media, forging partnerships with the City of Independence, Main Street and various organizations. Despite a sub-project facing challenges, the overall community support for this initiative, led by the Champion and three community members, emphasizes inclusivity and collaboration in developing and steering the program’s initiatives.
In the first grant cycle, substantial progress was made through initial meetings, introduction of stakeholders and prioritization of action items. The Champion’s attendance at trail-building workshops facilitated valuable networking, leading to crucial relationships, and progress includes City Commission approval for a 1.4-mile trail, signage development, and capacity building for the Community Foundation for Independence.
The resources for the project consisted of the Rural Champion grant, additional funding awarded through other groups and partners, and other non-financial resources.
Montgomery County Champion – Brittany Holum
Our project mission is to build a network of impactful and accessible trails in Independence. Whether that is a self-guided historical walking or mural tour, a gravel bike or mountain bike trail, stroll through downtown, or a safe route to school.
We believe walkable communities that focus on utilizing their natural resources to create pleasing outdoor experiences succeed in increasing community pride and quality of life, enterprise, health and wellness, and tourism. In turn, walkability has a multiplier effect that creates a healthy ecosystem for businesses, the community, and visitors.
Follow and support this project
English 
Español 
日本語