Flint Hills Wellness Coalition

Goal: $5,000.00

Specific Need

Donations to the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition will provide direct client support to individuals referred to the Flint Hills Community Care Team.  Flint Hills Community Care Team funds are a fund of last resort when other agencies are unable to provide support.  FHCCT funds are combined with funds from other agencies to help prevent people from being evicted and/or homeless, from having their utilities turned off, to pay for prescriptions, to pay copays for medical appointments, to help with vehicle repairs, etc.  Support is capped at $250 per person every six months, with exceptions made under extraordinary circumtances.

Mission

The Flint Hills Wellness Coalition works cooperatively with citizens and groups throughout the City of Manhattan and Riley County to develop community norms that support healthy behaviors and environments. Our mission is to create a healthy, equitable community for our residents through policy, system, environmental, and personal change.

Profile

Flint Hills Community Care Team (FHCCT)

Purpose
The purpose of the Flint Hills Community Care Team (FHCCT) is to provide person-centered care to improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable members of our community by developing wrap around services through multi-agency partnerships and care coordination.

FHCCT views “health” as defined by the social determinants of health – so it is not just an individual’s physical and mental health that are addressed – we are concerned about whether an individual has safe and affordable housing; reliable transportation; food; clothing; health insurance; a medical home; employment, etc. – all the things needed to live and thrive.

History
Flint Hills Community Care Team (FHCCT) was started in October 2018 by the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition in response to the 2015 Community Needs Assessment for Riley County where respondents expressed concern about the lack of access and coordination of services for the most vulnerable people in our community.

At inception, FHCCT started with about a dozen community member organizations: health department, hospital, community mental health center, emergency medical services, local school district, emergency shelter, and several local non-profit organizations that serve vulnerable populations.  Our membership has since grown to approximately 30 organizations as listed on the Authorization for the Release of Information (ROI) signed by clients.

FHCCT meets in person on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 12-1pm in the board room at the Riley County Health Department, with Zoom as an option for anyone who is unable to attend in person.

Referrals
Since its inception FHCCT has served 324 individuals – 142 males and 182 females.  The youngest male served was 12-yrs-old and the oldest was 96-yrs-old making the average age being 54.  The youngest female served was 11-yrs-old and the oldest 89-yrs-old with the average age being 50.

Number of individuals served by year are as follows:
2018: 11 (October thru December)
2019: 51
2020: 34
2021: 27
2022: 18
2023: 40
2024: 72 
2025:  68

Number of referrals by agency since the inception of the FHCCT  (these are the top eleven agencies and total 303 referrals, not 324):

Riley County Emergency Medical Services: 96
Riley County Health Department: 30
Ascension Via Christi Manhattan Hospital: 25
FHCCT: 27
Pawnee Mental Health Services: 15
City of Manhattan Risk Reduction: 14
Be Able Community:  14
Konza Prairie Community Health Center: 12
USD 383: 9
Riley County Police Department: 8

Outcomes
Specific outcomes that have been realized as the result of the FHCCT include but are not limited to:

• Fewer repeat visits to the hospital emergency room which is a cost savings to the hospital and community
• Fewer repeat calls to Riley County Emergency Medical Services thus reducing the cost to the taxpayer
• Social service agencies and affiliated organizations all work from the same “playbook,” so to speak, to meet the needs of individuals which reduces the likelihood that agencies will be taken advantage of
• FHCCT clients’ needs are meet sooner than if they were trying to navigate the social service and health care systems on their own

Primary presenting problems presented

• Housing insecurity / homeless
• Mental health / substance use
• Financial insecurity / unemployment
• Lack of insurance / underinsured
• Lack of transportation
• Food insecurity

Barrers to providing adequate support

• Lack of community financial resources to meet the increasing need in the community
• Criminal backgrounds limit housing options
• Inadequate number of local mental health providers to address substance use (need something more than the Crisis Stabilization Unit – need local inpatient treatment options)
• Lack of beds in state hospitals result in long wait times

$3,865.00 received
in 16 gifts 77.30%  of  $5,000.00 Goal