Nelson Community Wellness Alliance Inc

THE NELSON COMMUNITY WELLNESS ALLIANCE (NCWA) IS BASED IN NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. NELSON IS A DESIGNATED RURAL HEALTH AREA BY THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA). IT IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE CITIES OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, 40 MINUTES TO THE NORTH, AND LYNCHBURG, 35 MINUTES TO THE SOUTH. GEOGRAPHICALLY, NELSON COUNTY IS NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STATE, BORDERED BY THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS ON THE NORTHWEST AND THE JAMES RIVER TO THE SOUTHEAST. NELSON COUNTY IS PART OF HEALTH PLANNING DISTRICT (HPD) 10, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BLUE RIDGE HEALTH PLANNING DISTRICT; HOWEVER DUE TO THE COUNTIES UNIQUE DIAMOND SHAPE, IT SITS ON THE EDGE OF THREE DIFFERENT HEALTH PLANNING DISTRICT'S. THE NORTHERN TIP OF NELSON COUNTY MEETS AUGUSTA COUNTY IN HPD 6, TO THE NORTHEAST IT JOINS WITH ALBEMARLE COUNTY WHICH IS ALSO PART OF HPD 10. TO THE SOUTHEAST IT IS BORDERED BY BUCKINGHAM COUNTY IN HPD 14 (ALSO A RURAL HEALTH AREA). TO THE SOUTHWEST NELSON MEETS WITH AMHERST COUNTY IN HPD 11 (ALSO A RURAL HEALTH AREA), AND TO THE WEST IT IS BORDERED BY ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY IN HPD 6 (ALSO A RURAL HEALTH AREA). DUE TO THE RURAL LOCATION OF NELSON COUNTY AND LACK OF RESOURCES WITHIN THE COUNTY MANY RESIDENTS TRAVEL TO OTHER LOCALITIES TO ACCESS ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THE TARGET POPULATION FOR THE ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS INCLUDES ALL RESIDENTS IN NELSON COUNTY, WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE 6,819 PEOPLE RESIDING IN CENSUS TRACT: 51125950300 (INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF ARRINGTON, PINEY RIVER, TYRO, MONTEBELLO, AND GLADSTONE), MANY OF WHOM ARE LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND/OR ISOLATED ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND GEOGRAPHICALLY. CURRENT PROGRAMS "STAMP OUT STIGMA (SOS): PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS SAY THAT THE SOCIAL STIGMA ATTACHED TO THEIR CONDITION AND THE DISCRIMINATION THEY EXPERIENCE CAN MAKE THEIR DIFFICULTIES WORSE AND MAKE IT HARDER TO RECOVER. SOS IS A PROGRAM DESIGNED BY NCWA TO HELP REDUCE THIS STIGMA, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO LEARN HOW TO CARE FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THE ALLIANCE CONNECTS NATIONALLY KNOWN SPEAKERS AND EXPERTS IN MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION, AND RECOVERY TO NELSON COUNTY CITIZENS INCLUDING YOUTH, PARENTS, AND ALLIED PROFESSIONALS. "FIRST RESPONDERS' APPRECIATION DAY (FRAD): ANNUAL PROGRAM RECOGNIZING THE EMS, FIRE & RESCUE, POLICE, SHERIFF, SOCIAL SERVICES, MEDICAL STAFF, AND CRISIS WORKERS WHO SERVE NELSON COUNTY. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT FIRST RESPONDERS ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, SEVERE DEPRESSION, AND DEATH BY SUICIDE. FRAD SERVES TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CARING FOR MENTAL HEALTH TO REDUCE THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF EXPOSURE TO TRAUMA, TO THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE STRUGGLING AFTER A TRAUMATIC EVENT TO SEEK OUT RESOURCES FOR RECOVERY. "NELSON COMMUNITY TEXT-LINE: A COORDINATED PLATFORM TO HELP MEET THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS NEEDS OF NELSON COUNTY RESIDENTS, DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS (CITIZENS, ALLIED PROFESSIONALS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS), AND ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE A COORDINATED RESPONSE FOR NELSON COUNTY RESIDENTS DURING COVID-19. "POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS (PBIS) REWARDS: PBIS SEEKS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE POOR BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOLS THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF POSITIVE BEHAVIORS. IT IMPLEMENTS AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE SCHOOL CULTURE AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR, PROMOTING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING. PBIS IS BASED ON SEVERAL DECADES OF RESEARCH BY MAJOR UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FOCUSING ON MORE POSITIVE BEHAVIORS AND LESS ON NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS. "PATHWAYS COMMUNITY HUB MODEL: TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF REDUCING MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) AND OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) IN NELSON COUNTY, THE ALLIANCE WILL WORK ACROSS SYSTEMS TO CONNECT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO SUD/OUD PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY SUPPORTS BY ESTABLISHING A PATHWAYS COMMUNITY HUB. THE HUB WILL FACILITATE HEALTHCARE COORDINATION, OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS INCREASE ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO A POPULATION OTHERWISE UNABLE TO ACCESS THESE SERVICES. TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION AND STRENGTHENING OF AFFORDABLE TREATMENT AND CARE OPTIONS, THE HUB WILL ALSO SERVE AS A REFERRAL RESOURCE FOR THE LOCAL COURT SYSTEM, PROVIDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION WHICH WILL RESULT IN VASTLY IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR ITS VOLUNTARY PARTICIPANTS.