By Christina Brandmeier | REPORTER

RHINELANDER – The Oneida County Health Department has unveiled its new Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), focusing on four health priorities: mental health, substance use, childcare, and housing.

Linda Conlon, the health department director, was excited about the launch, which she described as a collaborative effort that began with listening to the community’s concerns and gathering data.

Conlon said health departments are required to conduct community health assessments and improvement planning every five years, while hospitals do so every three years.

“We’re hoping to show the community what we’ve done to launch this plan so that more people will be interested in signing up for coalitions and doing some of this work and making an impact on the health of our residents here in Oneida County,” Conlon said.

Heidi Pritzl and Jenny Chiamulera were two coalition members present at the event.

Pritzl, from the mental health coalition, said county data showed that the two biggest demographics struggling with mental health issues are youth and men.

“Even when you look nationally at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adolescents are third on the list for suicide deaths, and we see a rise in anxiety and depression in that age, as well as in men 25 and older,” Pritzl said.

Pritzl and her team recently implemented the “coaster campaign” in partnership with tavern leagues in Oneida, Vilas, and Forest counties and an organization called Heads Up Guys.

They designed coasters with tips and resources for men’s mental health, as well as info for the 988 suicide and crisis hotline, and placed them in local taverns.

“We know families love to go out for a fish fry, and men are there,” Pritzl said. “The neat part is they have a QR code, and we use that as a tracking method to see how many lives we touch and how many people reach out.”

She added that the campaign received many donations and plans to bring the coasters to golf courses in May.

Another goal of the mental health coalition is to reduce anxiety and bullying among high school and middle school students.

The group offers educational opportunities for the public to learn about signs and ways of supporting youth when they may be suicidal and need resources.

“We’ve also been able to bring our Raise Your Voice clubs into the coalition to have young voices at the table, talking about what we can bring to the community,” Pritzl said.

The CHIP’s goals for tackling substance use include fostering a healthy drinking culture and increasing access to treatment facilities, as well as lowering the percentage of students who use substances of any kind.

The health department said statistics show that, on average, 20% of youth in Oneida County indicate they currently use vapes, and 34% report they have tried it.

“Our work spans the entire continuum of care, from prevention to recovery,” said Chiamulera, a substance abuse coalition leader. “Today we’re talking about nicotine prevention and vaping prevention with youth, which is one of many things the substance coalition is doing.”

Chiamulera noted that many of the initiatives involved with the health plan are just getting started, and the same is true for the coalitions that will soon take on the housing and childcare health priorities.

According to CHIP, housing is important because it directly impacts living conditions, environmental exposure, stress levels, and overall well-being. Goals for improvement include reducing the financial burden of housing costs and enhancing housing standards and accessibility.

The childcare health priority will aim to increase access to childcare. It will also address the hardships of childcare providers’ pay, including the cost of running a daycare and high costs for parents.

When asked how they plan to measure progress, Conlon said, “We develop work plans, we have timelines, and we develop evidence-based strategies to implement things like a drug takeback day or an anti-bullying campaign.

“Or it might be changing a local policy around alcohol use at youth events. Any of those things would be evidence-based strategies that are measurable.”

With the plan underway and set to be implemented in 2025, Conlon emphasized the importance of continued collaboration.

“It does take a village,” she said. “Through collaboration, we really can create a healthier future together. I know that sounds a little bit corny like I’m just reading it off of a bumper sticker, but it’s truly how we make improvements.”

For more information, call 715-369-6111 or go to publichealth.oneidacountywi.gov.