Creating a Roadmap to Navigate the Mental Health Highway

Film overview: This 5-minute film illustrates the need for community efforts to decrease stigma and facilitate access to the “mental health highway” through the story of Justin and his experience with finding the right supports and meaningful work in his city of Eau Claire in Northwestern Wisconsin.  This story emerged from community members coming together to address the serious issues related to mental health in their small city.   The Eau Claire Mental Health Team is using this short film to raise awareness of mental health issues and and increase community engagement with a local mental health initiative.
Target audience: Communities that may be working toward similar community health improvement initiatives.
Supporting evidence or research for the film’s message: This film was developed using storytelling best practices, strong partnership principles for the film development and production, including local control of the message, and incorporating strategic framing principles.
Background: According to the 2013 Eau Claire Community Health Assessment, about 75% of people in Eau Claire County with mental health conditions receive no treatment at all for their mental illness. Community members have identified the complexity of navigating the mental health system as a major barrier to receiving treatment.The Mental Health Action Team is working on the following projects in support of the group’s goals of improving navigation of the local mental health service system and coordination of care for both consumers and community organizations:

• Identifying and analyzing barriers to mental health service access.
• Creating a comprehensive mental health resource directory.
• Collaborating with community organizations to enhance communication education, and activities around mental health.

Evaluation: This film has been shared with the local community health improvement coalition workgroups and their social and professional networks.  The film has received positive feedback from vital stakeholders in the community including city council and county board members.  They have distributed throuhgout their own networks.  The coalition has observed an increase in participation in their mental health improvement efforts indicating that the film has been instrumental in community engagement and recruitment.