Mental Health Matters

If you or someone is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat with them online. In an emergency call 911.

The Mental Health Matters Team is a collaboration of community organizations and volunteers who address community mental health. Poor mental health among community members, stigma, and the lack of access to mental health resources have been identified as major health issues Wood County residents face. These findings were identified in our public health data, which was collected through multiple methods, including a community survey, one-on-ones, community meetings, and focus groups. To join the Mental Health Matters Team, please contact Bailey Slark at 715-421-8948 or Bailey.Slark@woodcountywi.gov

Training Opportunities:

Up to Me: This training is for a group of individuals living with a mental illness or a dual diagnosis. Once a group is chosen (5-10 participants), they will be asked to engage in 5 weekly one hour sessions along with an hour “booster” session a month after the last weekly session. During this training, participants will learn skills on deciding when to disclose about their mental illness and how to share their story in a non-stigmatizing way. The Up to Me training is applicable to groups of high school students and older.

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Interface Training: This training is for a general audience who are interested in learning about the ACEs and what can be done as a response to them. The ACE Interface Training can run for an hour and a half, to a half-day, or even a full day.

Storytellers: Local storytellers who have lived experience with mental illness or a dual diagnosis with substance use disorder, are sharing their stories of their recovery journey. If you or someone you know might be interested in having storytellers come to an event or a meeting to speak please contact Bailey Slark at Bailey.Slark@woodcountywi.gov for more details.


Here are some of the teams current projects!

  • Trauma Informed Culture (TIC) Toolkit creation to be used in Wood County schools districts.

  • Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainings to educate community residents, health care providers, and educators about suicide prevention conversation techniques.