NACCHO and CredibleMind Collaboration Increases Behavioral Health Access in U.S. Communities for Nearly 25 Million People Across the U.S. 

Celebrating One Year of Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – August 21, 2024 – The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the over 3,300 local health departments across the country and CredibleMind, Inc. celebrate a year of positive outcomes with its Behavioral Health 360 program, a collaboration that has increased access to mental health support for almost 25 million people in hundreds of counties, cities, and tribal lands across the country. This initiative, designed to help combat the nation’s mental health and substance use crisis, leverages a strong NACCHO and CredibleMind collaboration to empower local public health departments and communities with a turnkey program. The program’s one-year milestone was celebrated at NACCHO360, the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals in the United States, last month in Detroit, Michigan.

The Behavioral Health 360 program addresses a critical need in many NACCHO member communities, particularly rural areas classified as mental health deserts with limited or no access to mental health providers. Behavioral Health 360 empowers local public health departments to take charge of their communities’ mental health and wellbeing. Applying a public health approach and emphasizing health promotion, prevention, and early intervention for mental health and substance use disorders, this proactive strategy aims to reduce the overall disease burden and strain on healthcare systems and communities. Importantly, the program allows for local customization, integrating local support services and enabling local tailoring to specific needs, demographics, and cultural contexts.  

To further support this work, over 15 grants have also been awarded through the program, directly impacting communities in need by supporting the development of innovative mental health initiatives, extending service delivery, and fostering community resilience.

Lori Tremmel Freeman, NACCHO CEO

Initial deployments of the program have produced tangible impacts on the mental health of participants, as measured via the CredibleMind platform, and through reports shared by early adopter organizations. As participation expands, data captured and analyzed via the platform will provide a more robust picture of the program’s progress and its impact on the mental health of communities.

“We continue to hear how this program is filling a critical need in communities,” shared Lori Tremmel Freeman, NACCHO CEO. “Local health departments are embracing Behavioral Health 360 and adapting it to their unique circumstances, context, and needs. This creates a powerful ripple effect, increasing access to services fostering mental health and wellness at the local level.”

Deryk Van Brunt, DrPH, CEO of CredibleMind and Clinical Professor at UC Berkeley

“Early adopters’ success stories exemplify the potential of a population-based mental healthcare system,” remarked Deryk Van Brunt, DrPH, CEO of CredibleMind and Clinical Professor at UC Berkeley. “We are thrilled to witness the continued evolution of Behavioral Health 360 and its positive impact on communities nationwide.”

CredibleMind’s advanced digital platform serves as the program’s technological backbone. It provides individuals with evidence-based, self-care resources addressing a wide range of mental health and wellbeing topics. Furthermore, Behavioral Health 360 includes a Virtual Community component where public health leaders can share best practices, exchange strategies, and leverage data-driven approaches to improve community mental health. Ongoing data analysis equips local health departments with valuable insights into their communities’ mental health needs and tracks program outcomes.

Public health leaders who piloted Behavioral Health 360 in its first year gathered at NACCHO360 to share best practices and celebrate early successes. The annual conference attracted thousands of public health professionals and featured dedicated sessions for the Behavioral Health 360 program. Participants in these sessions highlighted success stories, showcased innovative approaches to population mental health, and shared valuable best practices.

For more information on Behavioral Health 360, visit solutions.crediblemind.com/naccho.

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About CredibleMind

CredibleMind is a leader in digital mental health solutions, supporting evidence-based self-care and screening and triage for people with mental health and wellbeing challenges. CredibleMind’s mission is to help the world flourish and to foster mental health, wellbeing, resilience, and performance by empowering users with access to reliable information, tools, and resources. For more information, please visit solutions.crediblemind.com/naccho.

About NACCHO

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.  

Contacts:

LeAnn Harley
NACCHO Media and Public Relations Lead
LHarley@naccho.org

Robert Murphy
CredibleMind Marketing
robert@crediblemind.com

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