Among Vigo County’s public health challenges are the increasing number of individuals in the criminal justice system who face mental health and substance use disorder issues.
That’s why a significant portion of new state funding aimed at improving community health outcomes will be used to help address those critical needs, said Joni Wise, Vigo County Health Department administrator.
Vigo County is one of 86 counties in Indiana that will benefit from the new state Health First Indiana initiative, which provides $75 million in funding to those counties this year.
State legislation passed in 2023 will make another $150 million available statewide in 2025.
This year, Vigo will receive $1.28 million, a significant increase in state funding, and in 2025 the amount will be double that. A 20% local match is required in 2025.
Health First Indiana “is a good start for Indiana and our county to look at how we can better enhance the health of our communities,” Wise said.
The COVID pandemic brought to light that Indiana’s public health workforce is understaffed and underpaid, she said.
Vigo ranks 63rd — in the lower third of Indiana counties — in overall health and even worse for its health factors and behaviors, which include high rates of smoking.
That’s according to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The state public health funding law calls for county health departments to provide or collaborate with other organizations on numerous core services.
Vigo County’s health department already provides many of those core services, but the added funding will allow for enhancements to those services and more tools for collaborations on additional services, Wise has said.
In Vigo County, much of the funding is dedicated to critical issues that include mental health, addiction, people within the judicial system and those incarcerated in the county jail, Wise said.
In one initiative, a contract with Vigo County courts for $385,010, calls for the employment of three licensed clinical social workers to work with individuals who suffer from mental health and addictions issue and to connect them to services and resources.
The hiring process is underway, said Sarah Mullican, Vigo Superior Court Div. 3 judge.
The new social workers will collaborate with Virgil Macke, also a licensed clinical social worker who already assists the courts on those issues.
“We’re really excited about this grant opportunity with the health department,” Mullican said. “We’re seeing so many people associated with the criminal justice system suffering from mental health and substance abuse disorders. We’re hoping to help people in recovery and help them become working citizens back in the community.”
Another goal is that it helps address jail overcrowding, Mullican said.
A separate contract with CASY (Chances and Services for Youth) involves a collaboration between with the Vigo County School Corp. and Superior Court Div. 2 (family court).
The contract is for $175,000.
Funds will be used to help pay for staffing for life skills specialists, working with the schools and families in Div. 2 court, said Brandon Halleck, CASY chief operating officer. It will also be used to provide therapy.
The initiative will involve new and existing staff; the agency already has funding for a family court navigator, and with the HFI funding, additional services can be provided in-house by CASY, he said.
Within the Vigo County School Corp., it will be used to provide life skills, health and wellness education, therapy and other services.
The Health First funding “is exciting because we really are focusing on mental health and prevention, and all of these things lead to creating a healthier child and a healthier family unit, which in turn leads to a healthier community,” Halleck said.
He gave the example of graduation rates. “Kids will struggle to graduate if their family unit is not healthy,” he said.
Wise said 10% of funds can be used for capital improvement, and some of the funds will go to the Vigo County Parks Department to enhance facilities at Griffin Bike Park.
Funding also will be used to maintain and enhance existing health department programs and positions, including the tire amnesty program, health educator position and an environmental health specialist position.
In other changes, the department has been able to hire a full-time lead case manager, which had formerly been a contractual position. The department screens children for lead exposure and manages those cases.
The health department also has been able to hire two new positions, a peer recovery coach and a public health social worker.
The department social worker will partner with other organizations to address widespread health problems and social issues in the community.
“We get so many calls from people needing help and it’s just hooking them up with the right services,” Wise said. The social worker also will focus on the mental health and addiction community to collaborate as needed.
The department used to have a social worker, but with property tax caps, that position was eliminated.
The peer recovery coach “will work with any partner as needed” related to recovery from substance use disorders, Wise said.
Those staff hired include Molly Isles, social worker; Katie Mundy, lead case manager; and Shonna Frye, peer recovery coach.
In addition, health department employees who are absorbing additional responsibilities are receiving small stipends to help enhance their salary, Wise said.
HFI legislation passed in 2023 seeks to improve the health of Hoosiers through guaranteed access to core public health services, including maternal and child health, tobacco and vaping cessation, chronic disease, trauma and injury prevention and more, according to an Indiana Department of Health news release.
