Morton County Community Coalition

Envelope Link Facebook Instagram Linkedin Contact: Leslie Kraich or Tara Kemp About the Coalition: Morton County Community Coalition works together to bring opportunities for health and wellness, thriving communities, preservation of history and safe spaces for our families to grow and stay. Coalition Established Date: April 29, 2022 Past Grants: Over the past three years, our coalition has made significant strides in mental health and crisis response support in the community. Key activities and achievements include: Established 9-8-8 Kiosk Centers: Three centers set up around the county, providing direct access to the suicide and crisis lifeline. Training & Supplies: DCCCA has conducted training sessions and provided Naloxone supplies. Compass Behavioral Health Counseling: Compass now provides regular on-site counseling services twice a month within the Health Department. Grant Funding: Secured ChildCareAware grant funding to support early childhood initiatives and Daycare efforts. Human Trafficking Awareness: Hosted Russ Tuttle for a community and school presentation on human trafficking. Media Coverage: Featured in Kansas Country Living (March 2024), KWCH news (August 2023), and Kansas Commerce (September 2023) highlighting 988 centers. Mental Health Walks: Organized “Be Seen In Green” walks to raise awareness for mental health. Mental Health First Aid Training: Hosted trainings to educate the community on recognizing and responding to mental health crises. Collaborations: Participated in rural/frontier crisis care workgroup meetings with KDADS. Community Presentations: Hosted NAMI Kansas’ “Standing In The Gap” community presentation (September 2024). Upcoming Benefit Concert: Organizing the “Silence Isn’t Strength” concert on September 27, featuring artists Drake McCain, Jordan Mitchell, and Radleigh Hurn to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health.   These activities reflect our coalition’s ongoing commitment to enhancing mental health resources and support for our community. Focus Areas: Mental Health, Access to Care, Substance Use Prevention/Harm Reduction, Suicide Prevention/Injury Reduction, Food Access, Housing, Workforce Wellness, Childcare Access, Violence Prevention, Local & State-Level Advocacy, General Health & Wellness, Physical Activity County: Morton County Region: Southwest Region Estimated Membership size: 10 Partner Network: 0 Meeting Frequency & Format: Monthly, In-Person Back to the Coalition Directory

Healthier Lyon County Coalition

Envelope Link Facebook Contact: Jessica Reth About the Coalition: Beginning in 2014 with a grant from Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Healthier Lyon County (HLC) has strived to promote healthy lifestyle habits in Lyon County. After merging with Healthier Community Alliance in 2016, Healthier Lyon County now boasts a coalition of over 75 organizations and 140 people who work to improve the lives of Lyon County residents. Our mission is to encourage initiatives, policies, and resources to improve health in Lyon County. Coalition Established Date: July 1, 2014 Past Grants: Current Grants: BCBS Pathways, Rural Champions Program, Kansas Food Action Network Food Secure Communities, Kansas Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Previous Work: Covid response including vaccine & testing clinics Walk With a Doc Creative Placemaking efforts Multi Modal Transportation Planning Healthy school policies and funding Community Garden Projects Food Pantry access funding and support Early Childhood funding and support Bike Share Program (Now with CrossWinds) Back to School Haircuts for kids Interactive HealthFest Park Crawl Fairgrounds Trail Safe Routes to School drafted/adopted & Safe Routes to Food Ordinance passed Tobacco Free grounds at ESU Tobacco Free Parks & Playgrounds Farmers Market partnership and expansion to rural communities Infrastructure work including sidewalks, crosswalks, park improvements Restaurant and convenience store funding for healthy grocery items in rural food deserts Focus Areas: Mental Health, Access to Care, Safe Routes to School, Food Access, Housing, Tobacco Cessation & Prevention, Childcare Access, Local & State-Level Advocacy, General Health & Wellness, Physical Activity, Workforce Wellness County: Lyon County Region: Northeast Region Estimated Membership size: 30 Partner Network: 140 Meeting Frequency & Format: Bi-monthly, Hybrid Back to the Coalition Directory

Flint Hills Wellness Coalition

Envelope Link Contact: Debbie Nuss About the Coalition: The Flint Hills Wellness Coalition works cooperatively with citizens and groups throughout the City of Manhattan and Riley County to develop community norms that support healthy behaviors and environments. Our mission is to create a healthy, equitable community for our residents through policy, system, environmental, and personal change. Our work is focused on the social determinants of health and our position statements are developed through a Health in All Policies (HiAP) framework. Coalition Established Date: February 7, 2022 Past Grants: Kansas Health Foundation Healthy Communities InitiativeBlue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Phase 2Memorial Hospital Association City of Manhattan Community Support FundsCaroline F. Peine Foundation Focus Areas: Mental Health, Access to Care, Community Health Worker Programs, Built Environment, Substance Use Prevention / Harm Reduction, Food Access, Housing, Local & State-Level Advocacy, General Health & Wellness, Tobacco Cessation & Prevention County: Riley County Region: North Central Region Estimated Membership size: 75 Partner Network: 225 Meeting Frequency & Format: Quarterly, Hybrid Back to the Coalition Directory

C4 Chase County Care and Compassion

Envelope Facebook Contact: Carrie Riggs About the Coalition: We have a food pantry and run the adopt a child service each December. We also use funds to pay utility bills. medical bills and senior meals. At the present time we have been awarded a Pathways grant and are using to it to expand our services. Coalition Established Date: December 2, 2010 Past Grants: We have just been awarded a Pathways grant. Focus Areas: Food Access, Housing County: Chase County Region: North Central Region Estimated Membership size: 9 Partner Network: 10 Meeting Frequency & Format: Monthly, In-person Back to the Coalition Directory

LiveWell Shawnee County

Envelope Link Facebook Instagram Contact: Sarah Karns About the Coalition: LiveWell Shawnee County is the grassroots health and wellness coalition serving Shawnee County. We are dedicated to creating healthier communities across the county, the implementation arm of the Community Healthy Improvement Plan. Coalition Established Date: March 1, 2008 Past Grants: Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Phases I and II, Kansas Food Action Network Food Secure Communities grant, Stormont Vail Foundation grant, Shawnee County funding contract, City of Topeka Multimodal Transportation funding contract, various health policies passed, Safe Routes to School in two SNCo school districts, creation of food resource guide. Focus Areas: Mental Health, Built Environment, Safe Routes to School, Substance Use Prevention / Harm Reduction, Suicide Prevention / Injury Reduction, Food Access, Housing, Tobacco Cessation & Prevention, Violence Prevention, Breastfeeding, General Health & Wellness, Physical Activity County: Shawnee County Region: Northeast Region Estimated Membership size: 200 Partner Network: 70 Meeting Frequency & Format: Monthly, Hybrid Back to the Coalition Directory

Because We Care

Envelope Link Contact: Kerianne Ehrlich About the Coalition: We are a community-wide coalition of stakeholders engaged in mental health efforts by improving the awareness of the resources and efforts. Our mission is ” Community partners working together to connect citizens of Ellsworth County in Kansas with resources for life. You’re not meant to go through life alone. We’re here to help you find your people and help you grow as a person.” Coalition Established Date: October 1, 2020 Focus Areas: Mental Health, Access to Care, Suicide Prevention / Injury Reduction, Food Access, Housing, General Health & Wellness County: Ellsworth County Region: North Central Region Estimated Membership size: 10 Meeting Frequency & Format: Monthly, In-person Back to the Coalition Directory

Stay Strong Live Long Wilson County

Envelope Contact: Betti Jo Walters About the Coalition: Stay Strong – Live Long – Wilson County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for healthy lifestyle choices and policies across Wilson County, Kansas. We value collaboration and inclusivity and are dedicated to our employees’ growth and well-being. As a recipient of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), we are committed to implementing community-focused initiatives that promote active living, healthy eating, behavioral health, and commercial tobacco prevention. Our mission is to make Wilson County a thriving, healthy place to live and raise a family. Wilson County represents the cities of Altoona, Fredonia and Neodesha Kansas Coalition Established Date: January 1, 2016 Past Grants: Previous CDRR grantee, current Pathways grantee, Drug Endangered Children grantee Focus Areas: Substance Use / Harm Reduction, Food Access, Housing, Tobacco Cessation and Prevention, Workforce Wellness, General Health and Wellness, Access to Care County: Wilson County Region: Southeast Region Estimated Membership size: 30 Partner Network: 30 Meeting Frequency & Format: Bi-monthly, hybrid Back to the Coalition Directory