NORTHFIELD HEALTHY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

Rice county chemical and mental health coalition (rccmhc) aligns and improves the chemical and mental health care systems for youth and their families in rice county, minnesota. It leads the opioid response network, working to reduce the overdose fatality rate. Healthy community initiative convenes the coalition and overdose fatality review board, helps makes naloxone publicly accessible, trains local organizations to administer naloxone, collects unused prescription drugs, and offers mental health awareness and response training. In fy24, 354 community members completed hci's mental health training.

Healthy community initiative's growing up healthy team engages families, caregivers, neighborhoods, and community partners in support of healthy early childhood development, kindergarten readiness, and primary school attendance. In fy24, the team supported 309 children under the age of 10 and 788 households. Healthy community initiative's youth engagement activities amplify youth voice by supporting youth participation on local boards and empowering youth to make decisions relevant to their own experience. In fy24, hci's youth development activities benefited 194 youth aged 14-18 in rice county.