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“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” — Coretta Scott King
We believe in the power of collective effort to transform our community. Below we share some significant updates about our Community Health & Wellness Pillar and invite you to join us on this journey to rise, transform, and thrive in Shawnee County.
During the 2024 Shawnee County Community Health Needs Survey, residents identified their top concerns: Mental Health, Adult Obesity, Neighborhood Safety, Healthy Eating Options, Safe, Affordable, and Accessible Housing, Financial Assistance (Medical Areas), Environmental Pollution and Recycling, Chronic Conditions, Financial Assistance for Housing, Food Assistance, and Homelessness. These insights underscore the urgent need for action in our community.
Additionally, recent data from the 2024 Shawnee County Health Rankings revealed alarming trends:
- An increase in poor physical health days from 3 to 3.4 per month.
- A rise in poor mental health days from 5 to 5.7 per month, making us one of the worst counties in Kansas for mental health.
- Frequent mental distress among adults climbed from 14% to 17%.
- 18% of adults in Shawnee County are smokers.
- 24% of adults are physically inactive.
- 17% of adults drink excessively.
These figures highlight the growing mental health and addiction challenges in our community. SENT is committed to addressing these top concerns for our friends and neighbors in Shawnee County. In 2020, we established a mental health department in Southeast Topeka, and in 2023, we provided over $37,000 in free or reduced mental health resources and launched a licensed substance-use disorder facility.
Our partnerships have strengthened, including collaborations with Valeo Behavioral Health, Mirror Inc., Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, and Pediatric Connections OT. Thanks to a generous gift from the Redbud Foundation, we now have access to the groundbreaking Neurofeedback system for treatments, enhancing our mental health, substance use disorder, and occupational health services.
However, our journey is far from over. To meet the growing demand and ensure that we can provide the best possible care to our community, we are committed to expanding our services. This includes hiring an additional mental health therapist to join our dedicated team. To attract top talent and remain competitive, we need to increase our salary offer by $8,000 to $10,000. This crucial step will enable us to continue delivering high-quality, accessible mental health support to those who need it most.
Your support as a monthly donor is crucial in sustaining our efforts. Monthly donations provide a steady, reliable source of funding that allows us to plan and execute our programs effectively. By committing to a monthly donation, you help ensure that we can continue to provide essential services in community health and wellness, as well as our other services including housing, and early childhood education. Your contributions will directly impact the lives of many, helping us to create a healthier, safer, and more connected community.
We are excited to announce the launch of our new Community Health & Wellness website pages, featuring extensive updates and significantly more information on all that we’re doing to make a difference in this arena. We invite you to explore these pages and learn more about our work.
Together, we can rise, transform, and thrive. We’ve overcome hardships, changes, and hurdles, and we continue to innovate our methods and offerings. We will create new opportunities for healing and growth, transforming the narrative of Southeast Topeka.
With gratitude,
Johnathan Sublet
Interim Executive Director