Welcome

 

Introduction
In 2013, this group was originally formed as the Behavioral Health Coordinated Community Response team (BHCCR) based on community input and focus groups that identified the need for more comprehensive mental health services in our area. In September 2017 this group evolved into the Mental Health Coordinated Community Response team (MHCCR).

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, many may have many emotions during this time. Please reach out to someone. Below are a few hotlines in our area to assist you or call 911.

Douglas County Crisis Line: 715-395-2259
Birch Tree: 218-815-3217
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 800-985-5990
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Chrissy Barnard, Certified Peer Specialist: 920-452-5152 Text between 7 AM – 4 PM, call any other time prior to 10 PM for peer support anytime.
Text HOPELINE to 741741
Text MN to 741741
Text NAMI to 741741

Current News in Douglas County

PRESS RELEASE  4/20/2020

DOUGLAS COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE (CCR)

RECEIVES GRANT FOR COMMUNITY SYSTEMS CHANGE

Superior, WI – Recognizing mental health as a top public health issue in Douglas County and acknowledging significant gaps in care and barriers to access, organizations throughout the community have come together to create a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) group to better understand individual agency work, to research crisis stabilization models, and to build hope and cooperation across systems. Toward this goal, North Country Independent Living has been granted $475,347 over the next three years to begin the process of urgent reform to community mental health crisis response. This Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin grant will allow the Douglas County CCR partner organizations to come together to explore current systems, evaluate the effectiveness and implement change.

Lynn Goerdt, UWS Social Work Professor and a key partner in the development of the proposal stated, “This grant can be a game-changer for mental health in Douglas County because it is intended to change our ability to respond locally to mental health crisis needs in a way that will be person-centered and recovery-focused.  We should significantly increase our ability to assist people to prevent a mental health crisis from escalating to a point where they find themselves far from their community and support network.”  Over the next three years, partners will come together, working cross collaboratively, to develop priorities for change, to develop and implement a system for individualized crisis planning, and to put in place a HIPAA-compliant method for data sharing. Additionally, we will be exploring models for peer-focused community support. If you or your organization would like to take part in this community-wide systems change work, please contact the North Country Independent Living Project Manager, Tracy Henegar: tracy@northcountryil.org.

This project is funded in whole by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) is a statewide health improvement philanthropy propelling promising work and ideas in health research, health care education, and community health initiatives to build a healthier Wisconsin today and for generations to come. Established by the Medical College of Wisconsin to steward a generous gift from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin, AHW has invested more than $260 million in nearly 450 projects since 2004.

Douglas County Mental Health CCR partners include Amberwing, Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse, Clear Harbor Counseling, Creative Counseling Group, Douglas County Health and Human Services, Douglas County National Alliance on Mental Illness, Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center, Family Forum Head Start, Harbor House Crisis Shelter, Human Development Center, Lake Superior Community Health Center, North Country Independent Living, St. Luke’s-Mariner Medical Clinic, Superior Fire Department, Superior High School, Superior Police Department, Superior Treatment Center, Twin Ports Veteran’s Administration, UW-Madison Division of Extension – Douglas County, and University of Wisconsin-Superior.