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The purpose of the project is to establish a WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) program in Custer County.
Background ... Custer County Mental Health Task Force is a grassroots group spearheaded by local law enforcement and Melham Medical Center focused on a unified, community approach to supporting those who live with mental illness in Custer County. The group consists of a consumer of mental health services/advocate, Nebraska State Patrol, Custer County Sheriff's Office, Broken Bow Police, Emergency Medical Services, Region III Behavioral Health Services, area counselors and therapists, Deputy States attorney, Callaway District Hospital and Healing Hearts and Families among other human service agencies. One of CCMHTF's first priorities is to bring the WRAP tool to Custer County and help promote its use among all stakeholders and patients as well as oversee its sustainability.
Following a series of programs presented by EMT Captain, and Broken Bow Police Officer Shane Fiorelli, and in recognition of the acute need for this service in Custer County, Broken Bow Area Rotary committed to step up as a partner to help with this endeavor.
The WRAP program serves as a wellness tool and would be promoted as such. Its impact - it is hoped - would reach across the county. The need is there. The hope is in the program's use and acceptance.
"WRAP is a personalized wellness and recovery system born out of and rooted in the principle of self-determination. WRAP is a wellness and recovery approach that helps people to 1) decrease and prevent troubling feelings and behaviors; 2) increase personal empowerment; 3) improve quality of life; and 4) achieve their own life goals and dreams. Working with a WRAP can help individuals to monitor uncomfortable and distressing feelings and behaviors and through planned responses, reduce, modify or eliminate those feelings. A WRAP also includes plans for responses from others when an individual cannot make decisions, take care of him/herself, and/or keep him/herself safe." (Copeland Center website, https://copelandcenter.com)
In 2010 WRAP was recognized by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an evidence-based practice.
Possible implementations and benefits are wide-spread:
• Acute mental health situations in the ER or with law enforcement - "the consumer" who has completed a WRAP document, will have a plan available for contact information, coping skills and other important information. This information includes if suicidal thoughts have been present and the trigger for these thoughts. The 'consumer' would have completed these plans with their therapist, at residential treatment (Richard Young uses WRAP) or at a workshop put on by this program.
• First Responders: wellness plans to improve life and cope with stressful, traumatic situations
• Businesses and schools: Improve employee wellness and productivity
• Community members: programs will be offered to help our residents implement a wellness plan in their lives to improve quality of everyday life. Programs including Veteran-specific, youth-specific, addiction-specific, etc., are available through WRAP.
Melham Medical Center has to date, committed $1200 in establishing charter and sustainability plans for Custer County Mental Health Task Force. Once implemented, CCMHTF would be responsible for the continuation of the program.
It is estimated that the cost of launching the program in its entirety, due in part to the expense and extensiveness of training required to be 'train the trainer' certified, and the subsequent cost of bringing this training forward, study and research materials, advertising and public awareness launch would be an estimated $5000. Broken Bow Area Rotary has applied for a County Foundation grant in addition to a District Rotary grant, and JMMMC has pledged funding to the program.
The moneys from this specific grant would be used to send, at minimum, our EMT captain and one of our Rotarians to the introductory training. This would take place as soon as funds are in place, and the training through Region III is scheduled.
The program could be a difference maker and has population segment tailoring such as WRAP for Veterans, WRAP for teenagers ...
The sustainability of the program would be provided through the Custer County Mental Health Task Force.
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