Insights & News
Health Insights are designed to deepen our Coalition’s understanding of specific issues that affect our community’s health, and engage our Coalition as participants, partners, and strategists in solutions. All Health Insights address one or more of the social determinants that affect the health of people in our Okanogan County community and are written by members of our community health network.
Latest News
Okanogan CHI meetings every last Thursdsay, 12 to 2pm. Get in touch to join!
[2/25 CHI Meeting] Health Data and CHI 2.0
In-person April CH meeting: Data and CHI 2.0
We have an exciting CHI meeting coming up next week, Thursday April 25th. This coming year, we're expanding opportunities for CHI members to get to know each other and strategize in-person. We'll be meeting in person from 12 - 2pm at the 12 Tribes Casino in Omak (lunch provided).
We'll be discussing a few big community health data projects that are taking off in Okanogan County right now (childcare, well-being, emergency preparedness, and more). And contributing our ideas on how best to move community data into our collective work and across our coalition.
We'll also be talking about "next evolution" of the Okanogan CHI's model and looking to you all for wisdom and reflections.
[Video 2/29/24 CHI Mtg] Legislation and Community Health
Hear CHI members talk about new legislation from Olympia that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
CHI members came together to talk about new legislation being discussed in Olympia that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
Click below to hear from local leaders about action in childcare and early learning, housing, healthcare capacity and workforce, mental health, and substance use and more.
[2/29 CHI Mtg] 2024 Legislative Session & Okanogan County
Thursday, February 29th from 12 - 1:50. We'll be talking about legislation being discussed in Olympia right now that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
We hope you can join us Thursday, February 29th from 12 - 1:50. We'll be talking about legislation being discussed in Olympia right now that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
Join us to hear from local leaders about action in childcare and early learning, housing, healthcare capacity and workforce, mental health, and substance use. This is also a great opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and how we can best support our partners.
Please share this invitation with others!
[12/14/23 CHI Mtg: Supporting Local Homelessness Response]
How can we, as an Okanogan CHI, amplify a few substantial homelessness planning and response actions on the horizon for Okanogan county? In-Person workshop.
This CHI is hosting a unique in-person Okanogan CHI workshop on Thursday December 14th from 12 - 2pm. This workshop will explore how we, as an Okanogan CHI, can amplify a few substantial homelessness planning and response actions on the horizon for Okanogan county.
Why join this meeting?
To learn about both planned and possible housing stabilization activities on the horizon for those who are homeless or housing unstable
To think together about how we, as a connected CHI network, can powerfully support the resources our county leaders are working toward
Get to know more CHI members, including Okanogan Housing Coalition leaders
[10/26 CHI Meeting Announcement]
Join us for an important conversation about reproductive healthcare in Okanogan County with partners from Family Health Centers, Public Health, and the Okanogan Youth Leadership Council.
We hope you can join us for an excellent CHI meeting this coming Thursday, 10/26 from 12 - 1:50. This month, we'll be bringing in partners from Family Health Centers and the Okanogan Youth Leadership Council as well as a statewide reproductive healthcare expert for an important conversation about reproductive healthcare in Okanogan County.
If you know of people connected to reproductive healthcare, school based health education, and more, please share this meeting invitation. We look forward to having you join us!
Zoom Meeting Meeting link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85148035548?pwd=VldXYmR2aUNDK0JSM2xBUXJTUkg2dz09
Meeting ID: 851 4803 5548
Password: 225695
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,85148035548#,,#,225695# US (Houston)
[7/27 CHI Mtg Video] Housing & Point in Time Homelessness Count
Over 2.5 years ago, we heard the results of the 2020 Okanogan County Housing Study. Like the rest of the nation, in Okanogan County, the demand for housing outpaced supply, most residents agreed the cost of rent was too high, and the proportion of the population that needed senior housing increased dramatically.. Check out what members of our Okanogan County Housing Coalition are doing to ensure Okanogan County has a plan for those furthest from health and housing opportunity.
Over 2.5 years ago, we heard the results of the 2020 Okanogan County Housing Study. Like the rest of the nation, in Okanogan County, the demand for housing outpaced supply, most residents agreed the cost of rent was too high, and the proportion of the population that needed senior housing increased dramatically. Unique data to our county included the high proportion of second-home owners in the Methow Valley (a whopping 43% of units were vacant in 2020), the need for affordable housing was greatest in Brewster, and our subsidized housing waitlist was around 300 people long.
This year, the Department of Commerce projected that Washington needs to build 1.1 million new homes in the coming 20 years with 20K to 71K units each year to stay on track with this need, and noting that 50% of those units must be affordable to individuals with the lowest incomes. Humane housing (affordable, safe, stable) is a vital condition necessary for positive health outcomes, economic stability, and healthy communities. Below is a recording from our Thursday, July 27th that shares what members of our Okanogan County Housing Coalition are doing to ensure Okanogan County has a plan for those furthest from health and housing opportunity.
[Video 6/29 CHI Mtg ] Senator Short & Learning Abt the Blake Bill
Check out a recording of 7th District Senator Shelly Short about this year's legislation and how it could influence Okanogan County community health.
Part 2 focuses on specific substance use legislation that was updated this year and how those changes have influenced our community's substance use approach and resources.
At the June CHI meeting, our local Senator, Shelly Short joined the Okanogan CHI to talk about actions in the 2023 legislative session that could influence health in Okanogan County. Check out the video below.
Community health issues are complex, our CHI Team shared about the framework of Clock vs Cloud solutions to support our network in thinking about big legislative changes like the Blake Bill.
Learn about the Blake Bill, passed in 2021 and amended in 2023, and how it influences criminal penalties for drug use and funding for direct services. Dr. Caleb Banta-Green from the University of Washington.
[4/23 CHI Mtg Announcement] 1st Review of Okanogan Health Assessment
The CHI has been asked to review and give input on the upcoming Okanogan County Community Health Assessment tool. Join us!
Join us Thursday 4/27 from 12 - 2pm!
The CHI has been asked to review and give input on the upcoming Okanogan County Community Health Assessment tool. This is a great opportunity for everyone in our network to get to know the assessment survey, look for opportunities to turn the questions towards the needs of your organization, and set the foundation for more robust assessments to come in Okanogan County.
Local Domestic Violence Services Face Funding Cuts
This year, organizations who support victims of crime, like The Support Center in Okanogan County, are expecting a 23%-30% cut in their funding from the State of Washington. These funding cuts mean fewer resources will be available to all survivors of crime in Okanogan County. Victims Services are critical in our rural areas. Without them, people will need to travel at least 2 hours to get help which means they will likely stay in unsafe situations.
By Margo Amelong, Executive Director of the Support Center & Kat Goering, Executive Director at Room One
This year, organizations who support victims of crime, like The Support Center in Okanogan County, are expecting a 23%-30% cut in their funding from the State of Washington. These funding cuts mean fewer resources will be available to all survivors of crime in Okanogan County. Victims Services are critical in our rural areas. Without them, people will need to travel at least 2 hours to get help which means they will likely stay in unsafe situations.
Families who have experienced domestic violence will be particularly impacted by these funding cuts. Domestic violence is a complex issue with no simple answers and it is present in every corner of Okanogan County. Domestic Violence is not physical violence alone. It's any coercive patterned behavior intended to gain or maintain power and control over a spouse, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend or intimate family member. It's not caused by anger, mental problems, drugs or alcohol or other common excuses. See the National Network to End Domestic Violence to learn more.
Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children who grow up witnessing domestic violence or are abused themselves are among those seriously affected. Growing up in the midst of violence puts people at risk of becoming a victim as an adult or even becoming a perpetrator. Violence of any kind poses significant threats to the health and stability of our communities.
In Okanogan County, we have two agencies who specialize in crime-victim services, The Support Center and Room One. The Support Center is a nonprofit agency in the town of Okanogan that provides 24-hour crisis intervention, medical and legal advocacy, emergency shelter, food and clothing as well as many other services to survivors of crime including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and other crimes. Room One is located in Twisp and works with individuals and families experiencing violence by creating safety plans, referring them to resources and providing other wraparound services. Room One relies heavily on the expertise of The Support Center when it comes to the legal aspect of crime victim’s services.
To provide their services, programs like The Support Center receive federal, state and county funding. They partner and coordinate with many other agencies, providing referrals for physical and mental health services for survivors as well as crime victim compensation services provided by the state Department of Labor & Industries. From January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022, The Support Center provided services to 201 survivors of domestic violence, 41 survivors of sexual assault and 73 survivors of other crimes.
A network of Coalitions including the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Office of Civil Legal Aid, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Washington, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and the Washington Sexual Assault Working Group have come together to request $132 million from state lawmakers for regular biennium funding for crime victim’s series. Please consider joining this effort by reaching out to your legislators and asking them to support this request.
[2/23 CHI Mtg] State Policies and Okanogan Community Health
On February 23rd, CHI members came together to about policy proposals being discussed in Olympia right now that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
From large funding investments in housing to healthcare workforce and reimbursements for health services, this is an big year of movement in our state.
On February 23rd, CHI members came together to about policy proposals being discussed in Olympia right now that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
From large funding investments in housing to healthcare workforce and reimbursements for health services, this is an exciting year of movement in our state.
Click on the recording below to hear from local leaders about action in childcare and early learning, housing, healthcare capacity and workforce, mental health, and substance use. This is also a great opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and how we can best support our partners.
[1/26 CHI mtg] The State of COVID-19 in Okanogan County
What is the state of COVID-19 In Okanogan County as we start 2023? Join our 1/26 meeting to learn more and hear an update about our upcoming countywide Community Health Assessment.
Thursday, January 26th from 12:00 to 1:00, we'll hear updates on the state of COVID-19 from Okanogan County Public Health (OCPH), as well as an update on our county's upcoming Community Health Assessment.
To make sure this conversation about COVID-19 is as useful as possible to you, we invite participants to fill out this short email survey about your COVID-19-related questions and reflections.
Jan 23-26: Homeless Point-In-Time Count Begins
Every day, families, adults, young people, and children are sleeping in cars, on couches. Once a year, the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count brings an opportunity to better understand this community crisis and set the foundation for more investment in homelessness, but it takes all of us to make it successful…
The Big Picture:
Every day, families, adults, young people, and children are sleeping in cars, on couches, and on the streets in Okanogan County, calling to action our schools, hospitals, social workers, elected leaders, law enforcement, first responders, and others . Once a year, the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count brings an opportunity to better understand this community crisis and set the foundation for more homelessness investment, resources, and coordination, but to be successful, the PIT needs participation from community partners in every corner of Okanogan County.
What is the Point-In-Time Count?
Communities are required by state and federal agencies to conduct a one-day Point-In-Time (PIT) Count that surveys people experiencing homelessness. The PIT Count includes both *sheltered individuals (temporarily living in emergency shelters or transitional housing) and unsheltered individuals (those sleeping outside or living in places that are not meant for human habitation). PIT Counts are one source of data among many that help us understand the situations and characteristics of people living in Okanogan County without a home.
Why Does it Matter?
The PIT Count helps inform priorities for federal, state, and local funding. It also helps identify trends and craft solutions for the needs of vulnerable individuals and families. Knowing approximately how many families with children, unaccompanied youth, unsheltered veterans, etc. are homeless, helps local housing providers and our City and County governments plan for homeless services and measure progress toward goals. The Count is also required by Washington State and federal laws as a condition of receiving financial assistance to fund homeless services.
In 2022, the Okanogan County PIT Count identified just 57 homeless individuals and zero unaccompanied homeless youth, a number that many community partners think substantially underrepresents the total homeless population in our county. Like all surveys, the PIT Count has limitations and factors that affect the count results in any given year (like weather and volunteer participation). But if we come together to collect better data, we can tell a critical story about homelessness in our county and position ourselves for real and lasting solutions.
How Does it Work?
Nationally, the annual PIT Count happens on January 26th and is carried out by volunteers and community partners who gather information directly from homeless individuals about their housing situation. In Okanogan County, PIT surveyors gather information for a full five days the week of January 23-27.
Okanogan County needs to reach as much of the county as possible. Right now, PIT Count organizers are calling on community partners to help with the following:
Rally more volunteers
Identify places where homeless individuals are living in sheltered and unsheltered areas (*see definition above)
Lead or work with current leads to help organize and manage volunteer groups in communities throughout the county
If an agency uses Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), help with data entry of the paper survey forms
Put the PIT Count on agendas for big meetings to explain the PIT and encourage volunteers
How to Get Involved?
For more information about the PIT Count in Okanogan County, go to www.occac.com/PIT
For general volunteer or agency participation: Miranda Maple at Okanogan County Community Action Council, 509-422-4041
In the Methow Valley: Erin or Kat at Room One, 509-997-2050
In the Oroville area: Ashley Range at the Oroville Housing Authority, 509-991-0396
For unaccompanied youth: Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Engagement (FYRE), info@okfyre.org
Click below to download and share ….
Stepping up Crisis Response Systems
Over 50% of calls to 911 in Okanogan County are non-criminal. These calls are often connected to bigger community health issues like substance use, homelessness, and mental health, and the resources our community members in crisis need often expand beyond law enforcement.
Responding to the call for solutions to this growing challenge, partners across the county are coming together and working toward innovative crisis programs, new collaborations, and better crisis systems.
Over 50% of calls to 911 in Okanogan County are non-criminal. These calls are often connected to bigger community health issues like substance use, homelessness, and mental health, and the resources our community members in crisis need often expand beyond law enforcement.
This longstanding challenge in our county has become even more pressing this past year. Responding to the call for solutions to this growing challenge, partners across the county, from law enforcement and mental health to addiction services and social work, are coming together and working toward innovative crisis programs, new collaborations, and better crisis systems.
On Dec. 8th, community partners spoke to the challenges in our crisis response systems, the way partners are stepping up, and how your organization can both utilize new resources on the table and contribute to future solutions.
Watch the video below to hear about new 24/7 recovery programming, a new mobile mental health crisis team, Omak PD's new social worker, the 'Crisis Response Collaborative' and more.
2022: A Community Health Assessment is Coming to Okanogan County!
In 2022, our local public health leaders will be launching a countywide community health assessment (CHA). At our Sept. CHI meeting, we dug into assessments, elevating the questions of how a CHA can impact community health, how it can best meet our CHI members needs, and what we hope a great assessment will bring to Okanogan County.
Take a look at the full meeting recording below. If you’re interested in seeing how our partners at Gray’s Harbor have recently taken on community health assessment, here’s a link to their 2022 report.
Winning Policy: Learning from (and about) the Working Families Tax Credit
Our July CHI Meeting focused on a Coalition’s work to launch the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), a new state program that will provide 1 in 6 households in Washington State ( 4,000 in Okanogan County) with up to $1200 a year to pay for things like food, gas, and childcare.
Our July CHI Meeting focused on the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC). Check out the entire meeting recording here!
The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) is a new state program that will provide 1 in 6 households in Washington State( many in Okanogan County) with up to $1200 a year to pay for things like food, gas, and childcare.
A great model Coalition model to move legislation:
The WFTC was brought forward by a coalition of partners, including food banks, domestic violence organizations, and anti-poverty groups, and approved with bi-partisan support. Take a look at the key components of how the WFTC was won:
See all the slides about how a Coalition won WFTC legislation here.
4,000 families in Okanogan County could benefit from the Tax Credit:
The tax credit will not be live until 2023, but partners are focusing on how to ensure rural communities like ours know about the cash-back opportunity. The need for our CHI network to understand the tax credit is high: 20% of families who qualified for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit miss out because of confusing eligibility process and access barriers.
To see a recording of the Okanogan CHI’s WFTC meeting:
Okanogan County Candidates Respond to CHI Issues
Watch and listen as Okanogan County candidates for Sheriff, County Commissioner, and State Representative talk with community health leaders about Housing, COVID-19, Smoke Readiness, Substance Use, At-Risk Youth, Community Health Workforce, Childcare and Mental Health.
In the June, 2022 the Okanogan CHI held a forum for Okanogan County candidates for Sheriff, County Commissioner, and State Representative. Community health leaders talked with candidates about Housing, COVID-19, Smoke Readiness, Substance Use, At-Risk Youth, Community Health Workforce, Childcare and Mental Health, check out the recordings below.
Okanogan County Commissioner Candidates talk Housing, COVID-19, and Smoke Readiness
Okanogan County Sheriff Candidates talk Substance Use and Overdose, At-risk Youth, Partnerships with Community Health Networks
State Representative Candidates talk Community Health Workforce, Childcare, and Mental Health
2022 CHI Candidate Forum: June 30th
The Okanogan CHI will be hosting a Candidate Forum on key community health issues with candidates for the office of Okanogan County Sheriff, Okanogan County Commissioner, and 7th District State Representative. We hope you and your team can join us!
The Okanogan CHI will be hosting a Candidate Forum on key community health issues with candidates for the office of Okanogan County Sheriff, Okanogan County Commissioner, and 7th District State Representative. We hope you and your team can join us!
[CHI Meeting Announcement] 5/26/22 Smoke Exposure & Preparedness
After several years of smoke exposure, we have new data on health risks and disparities and growing knowledge of community-level preparedness. Join us this month to learn from Clean Air Methow and partners about smoke-related health disparities in Okanogan County and opportunities to close these gaps in community health.
As we look towards summer, many in our CHI network are considering how smoke will once again affect our communities. After several years of smoke exposure, we have new data on health risks and disparities and growing knowledge of community-level preparedness. Join us this month to learn from Methow Clean Air and partners about smoke-related health disparities in Okanogan County and opportunities to close these gaps in community health.
We'll also hear from our partners at Village Voice about findings from an Okanogan County survey on COVID-19 Vaccine access -- helpful information as we think together about outreach and equity around smoke exposure.
This will be an IN-PERSON Okanogan CHI meeting on Thursday, May 26th at 12:00! The meeting will be at the Twelve Tribes Omak Casino meeting room; the Okanogan CHI will provide lunch. We encourage you to join and bring members of your team, this is a great opportunity to meet members of our community health network.
[CHI Meeting Announcement] 3/31/22: COVID-19 & Young People
If you have worked with young people around housing, employment, transportation, mental health, primary care, etc. during the pandemic, we hope you'll come to this March 31st meeting to learn more about the impacts of COVID-19 on young people and be part of local solutions.
[CHI Meeting Announcement] 2/24/22: Community Health Policies in the Legislature
Policy advocacy is a key community health strategy, it can have broad impact and bring essential funds and public resources to our community. At this month's CHI meeting, we'll be lifting up some of the active policy proposals that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community.
Policy advocacy is a key community health strategy, it can have broad impact and bring essential funds and public resources to our community. As many of you know, Washington State is in the final month of its legislative session and many new community health policies have been introduced this year. At this month's CHI meeting, we'll be lifting up some of the active policy proposals that could influence our CHI members’ work and the health of our Okanogan community. We'll cover legislation that directly relates to topics of our 2021 CHI meetings, including....
Long-term solutions to address capacity in the healthcare and child care workforce
Funding reimbursement rate increases for childcare provider (promised in the Fair Start for Kids Act)
Expanded approach to substance abuse response and prevention
This is a great opportunity to learn how policy advocacy works from our CHI partners and hear about bills that may affect our collective work this year.