Partnering
in Our Community
Emergency Preparedness
We work with first response agencies and other key partners in the community to prepare for emergencies. Our staff conduct active surveillance, which means we work with partners to watch for an unusual illness, groups of people with similar symptoms, an increase in sales of over-the-counter medicines, or other signs that may give us an early alert of a potential disease outbreak. Emergency planning with our partners helps us lower risks in our community, prevent public health emergencies, and respond as needed. We encourage community residents to take simple steps to prepare as well - to be Ready in 3.
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Community Volunteers
You can also help your community by volunteering during an emergency. Please keep in mind that emergency responders can quickly become overwhelmed by people showing up on a disaster scene wanting to volunteer. If you truly want to help, sign up with an organized group of volunteers so that you can be tasked more quickly with an assignment on the scene of a disaster.
Counseling Services
No one worries what people will think if they go to the doctor when they don’t feel well. So why are some people so reluctant to seek mental health care? Mental health care is a vital component of healthy living and a healthy community. If your heart is broken, if your soul is hurting — don't worry about what other people will think, reach out for help. You are not alone. Nearly one in five Americans suffers from mental illness.
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Youth with depression left untreated are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, suffer academic problems, have difficulties with relationships and family conflicts, have involvement in the juvenile justice system, and be more likely to attempt suicide. If you know of youth struggling with depression, tell them about our counseling resources, or call us to learn more about how we can help.
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We do not have a mental health counselor on staff, but if you are seeking mental health services for yourself or for someone you know, we encourage you to look at this list of local resources.
Volunteer
Tobacco Cessation
Most people know smoking is harmful to their health. More than half of adult smokers say they want to quit. Four out of 10 have already tried. You can get free help to quit by calling the Missouri Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). You can receive free support, advice, and counseling from experienced quitline coaches, a personalized quit plan, and resources to help you quit.