Department Resources

Behavioral Health

photo strip of images reflecting good mental health

Goal 1:

Strengthen the capacity of the Fairfax community to effectively implement, evaluate, and sustain the Community Health Improvement Plan

Community Identified Theme: Capacity Building

Key Actions:

1.1 Assess the existing Promoting Behavioral Health work team to identify gaps and diversify representation

1.2 Recruit, engage and empower community members, champions, organizations, and ambassadors to inform, guide, and lead CHIP activities.

1.3 Educate work team members on the use of evidence-informed, effective prevention strategies to ensure language is non-stigmatizing and to align efforts with promoting behavior change

1.4 Strategize to determine how to best reach communities with existing and new training, initiatives, and campaigns

1.5 Collaborate across coalitions to share knowledge, reduce duplication, and amplify equity-focused efforts

Goal 2:

Enhance the well-being of the Fairfax community by providing tools and strategies to increase awareness, understanding and open dialogue about behavioral health

Community Identified Theme: Stigma

Key Actions:

2.1 Identify, assess, and champion culturally relevant, participatory, and evidence-based public awareness campaigns that promote behavioral health

2.2 Train community members, champions, organizations and ambassadors to confidently facilitate inclusive discussions about mental health and substance abuse

2.3 Provide technical assistance and support to community members, leaders, and organizations by identifying resources and reducing barriers to facilitation and participation in community conversations and training

2.4 Assess workplace naloxone program materials to promote conversations about substance use and encourage organizations to implement workplace naloxone programs

2.5 Review programs (county-run and community-run) for opportunities to integrate behavioral health resources, prevention, education, and harm reduction into them

Goal 3:

Foster emotional well-being and resilience among youth and adults in the Fairfax community by providing tools and strategies to recover and adapt from adversity, reduce social isolation, and strengthen connectedness

Community Identified Theme: Healthy Behaviors/Knowledge of Resources

Key Actions:

3.1 Promote an initiative to share examples and personal stories of community members engaging in healthy behaviors and/or activities that help create social connections and decrease isolation

3.2 Inventory and share free or low barrier access to spaces/activities to practice healthy behaviors and that provide connection to community

3.3 Update and promote the Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax’s Social Isolation and Loneliness report to reduce social isolation and loneliness, with attention to structural inequities

3.4 Collaborate with Healthy Minds Fairfax to expand and promote FindHelp.com so that adults can find behavioral health resources

Goal 4:

Advocate for initiatives and policies that strengthen providers’ capacity to provide comprehensive services to the Fairfax community

Community Identified Theme: Strengthening Systems

Key Actions:

4.1 Champion participation in Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) for pediatric primary care providers and Virginia Mental Health Access Program for Moms+ for prescribers who provide care to pregnant and post-partum individuals

4.2 Champion participation in the Adult Psychiatric Access Line (APAL) which provides primary care providers with free consultation and care navigation for adults with behavioral health concerns

4.3 Advocate for policies and initiatives to provide training for primary care providers to assess, diagnose, and treat adult mental health and/or substance use concerns

4.4 Advocate to retain and increase a culturally and linguistically diverse behavioral health workforce, including strengthening the peer support workforce

Live Healthy Fairfax

Live Healthy Fairfax Alert:

Department Resources

Behavioral Health

Advancing social and emotional well-being while fostering a supportive and stigma-free environment for all

Definition

Goal 1:

Strengthen the capacity of the Fairfax community to effectively implement, evaluate, and sustain the Community Health Improvement Plan

Goal 2:

Enhance the well-being of the Fairfax community by providing tools and strategies to increase awareness, understanding and open dialogue about behavioral health

Goal 3:

Foster emotional well-being and resilience among youth and adults in the Fairfax community by providing tools and strategies to recover and adapt from adversity, reduce social isolation, and strengthen connectedness

Goal 4:

Advocate for initiatives and policies that strengthen providers’ capacity to provide comprehensive services to the Fairfax community

Fairfax Virtual Assistant