The Southern Behavioral Health Region
The Southern Behavioral Health Region consists of Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, and Northern Nye Counties. This region stretches across approximately 28,000 square miles in southern rural Nevada. The total population of the Southern Region is estimated to be less than 16,000. Lincoln County borders Clark County which is to the south as well as Utah to the east and Arizona to the southeast. Nye County, the largest geographic and most populated county in this region, has California on the southern border and sits in the middle bordering Lincoln to the east and Esmeralda and Mineral to the southwest and other Nevada counties to the north. Mineral and Esmeralda Counties are southwestern border counties connecting with California.
Southern Regional Behavioral Health Resource Guide (2023-2024) Online Version
Demographics and Geography
| County | Seat | Population | Area |
| Esmeralda | Goldfield | 744 | 3,589 sq mi |
| Mineral | Hawthorne | 4,586 | 3,757 sq mi |
| Nye – northern | Tonopah | 6,000 approx. | 9,737 sq mi approx. |
| Lincoln | Pioche | 4,525 | 10,635 sq mi |
Members serving on the Southern Regional Behavioral Health Policy Board are community leaders, law enforcement, healthcare and treatment providers, family and peer advocates, and more. They bring diverse perspectives to the Board and are passionate about collaborating to improve the behavioral health system in the Southern Region. The board resumed meeting in June of 2023. The Board along with regional stakeholders and county behavioral health task groups and coalitions continue to develop a shared understanding of the behavioral health issues facing the region. The Southern Regional BH Policy Board has begun to learn more about the roles and responsibilities in addition to the connection to the Coordinator role and work. Shared goals are emerging in conjunction with local, regional, and state partners to identify and align priorities and solutions whenever possible. Through ongoing discussion and work, the SRBHPB members, shown below, will continue to examine the needs (gaps and barriers) and strengths and highlights to establish priorities and recommendations for the coming year(s).
Board Members
- Chair: Dr. Kevin Osten-Garner, PsyD, Executive Director and Chief Psychologist, Adler Community Health Services
- Vice Chair: Stacy Smith, CEO, NyE Communities Coalition
- Boonn Hem, Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, Substance Misuse Specialist, CHW-I, Nye Communities Coalition
- Assemblyman Gregory Hafen II, Legislator/ District 36
- Missie Rowe, CEO/Administrator, Grover C. Dils Medical Center
- Scott Lewis, Director of Nye County Emergency Management; Fire Chief, Pahrump Fire & Rescue
- Sarah Dillard, Rural Program Director, Community Chest Inc.
- Whitney Koch Owens, PsyD, Owner, The Evidence Based Practice of Nevada, PLLC
- Coleen Lawrence, MSSL, EJD, Project Director CCBHC, Thrive, CPLC Nevada, Inc.
- Brenda O’Neil, Health Manager, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
- McKaye Traynor, Founder and Executive Director, Aurora Center for Healing
- Advise the State on Needs, Issues, Gaps, and Priorities
- Note Issues with Laws and Regulations à Recommendations
- Information, Resources, Service Delivery
- Coordination and Improvements in Behavioral Health
- Track and Compile Data/Outcomes
- Data Collection and Reporting/Repository
- Reporting to the State and Commission
Southern Regional Behavioral Health Needs – Gaps and Barriers
This information provides a framework to improve behavioral health services and enhance quality of life within the Southern Region’s communities, focusing on identified behavioral health needs in the form of barriers and gaps. This rural region continues to face significant needs and concerns across the behavioral health continuum as noted below. This work and these needs will be reviewed and evaluated and updated in an ongoing basis as the as the board continues to develop momentum.
- Scarcity of behavioral health clinical services/providers
- Lack of behavioral health workforce across region including retention
- Lack of BH supportive housing/residential services/treatment
- Long waits for evaluations and intensive residential care access
- Need to travel long distances for specialized and intensive care
- Transportation to access medical care
- Mental health crisis transport
- Homelessness and affordable housing
- Scarcity of dental and primary care and mobile clinics
Additional Opportunities
- Local Supports for guardianship process
- Examine need for prevention, educational programs, youth development, and school-based programs
- Need for increased education – stigma & harm reduction
- Need for increased parental engagement
- Limited foster care and licensed daycare
- Limited funding and resources in some areas
- Training including crisis planning and support
The Southern Regional Behavioral Health Policy Board resumed operations in June 2023. The following information aligns with current state and regional goals and objectives as well as information taken from the 2022 Annual Report. The coordinator and the board continue working together and with local and regional stakeholders to develop initiatives around local and regional needs and priorities. The SRBHPB will begin reviewing these and/or developing other priorities and initiatives in the coming year(s).
Three of the primary content areas the board will be working on are as follows: alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use/misuse prevention; mental health; and opioid response.
- Networking and building relationships and working with NRHP, board, hospitals, and local/regional/state/tribal stakeholders.
- More data and resource review and collection to support reporting.
- Ongoing review of strengths, needs, opportunities, barriers, and gaps.
- Strategies, priorities, and recommendations on neighborhood-based empowerment models using action planning and collaborative systems.
- Work to support behavioral health task and other groups in the region.
- Increased focus on training and support for the behavioral health coordination and workforce in the southern region.
- Support and advocacy for increased funding, resources, staffing, and technical assistance for the southern region.
The coordinator and the board will work together in the coming year to collaborate with local and regional stakeholders and state partners to develop strategies and recommendations around local and regional needs and priorities. Initial strategies and recommendations are as follows:
- Review and evaluate highlights and strengths as well as opportunities and needs (including gaps and barriers) around behavioral health in the southern region.
- Work with coalitions and taskforces to support regional behavioral health in addition to priorities across content areas.
- Review resources and data in support of local and regional needs and priorities.
- Community-wide engagement and collaboration with behavioral health stakeholders, partners, and systems in the areas of prevention (substance use/misuse), mental health, and opioid response (OUD).
- Develop priority recommendations and potential strategies across the spectrum and in relation to the strengths, opportunities, and needs.
- Support planning and development for innovative practices and grassroots empowerment models and programs leading to capacity building and system improvement across content areas in the southern region. This work could also involve policy development and potential legislation as well.
A Southern Regional Behavioral Health Resource Guide (2023-2024) is in process to print and will be officially published and distributed both hard copy and electronically in August-September of 2023. A preliminary version of the guide can be found below and on the Publications and Reports section of this website on the following page
Southern Regional Behavioral Health Resource Guide (2023-2024) – Online Version
Southern Regional Resource Appendix: https://nvbh.org/pdf-preview?id=4963
Regional Resources
Community Chest: https://communitychestnevada.net/
Nye County
Nye County Communities Coalition: https://nyecc.org/
Resource Directory – 2022-2024 (see Southern Region Documents and Publications)
Food Pantry List – 2023 (see Southern Region Documents and Publications)
Lincoln County
Lincoln County Coalition: https://lccoalition.org/
Mineral County
Mineral County Resources – see Southern Region Documents and Publications
Esmeralda County
Senior Transportation (Goldfield)
- Director Maureen Glennen
- Email: mglennen@esmeraldacountynv.org
- Clerk Email: ncolunga@esmeraldacountynv.org
- Address: 403 W. Crook Ave, Courthouse, 2nd Floor; Goldfield, NV 89013 / Phone: 775-485-3406
- Website: https://www.accessesmeralda.com/county_offices/senior_transportation.php
Commodities
This resource in Esmeralda County is a joint effort with 3 Square of Las Vegas. The resource includes two deliveries of food including frozen and fresh: fruits, vegetables, meats, canned & boxed goods. This food is distributed to volunteers of the other unincorporated towns (Gold Point, Silver Peak, and Fish Lake Valley, and then the food is delivered to local families. The distribution happens the first Wednesday and third Monday (barring holidays). Anyone who meets the income requirements may contact the Commissioner’s Office for an application and times for distribution in their area.
Pickup Locations
- Goldfield: Commodities Barn on Euclid across from the Fire Barn (Noon-1:00 pm)
- Fish Lake Valley: Community Center (2:15 to 3:15 pm)
- Silver Peak: Library (11:00 to 12:00 pm)
- Gold Point: Delivers to the 6 residents there as soon as she gets back to Gold Point (10-10:30 am)
State and National Resources and Data
Office of Analytics – Data Dashboard and Reports Catalog: https://dhhs.nv.gov/Programs/Office_of_Analytics/OFFICE_OF_ANALYTICS_-_DATA___REPORTS/
Southern Region Epidemiologic Profile: 2022: https://dhhs.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dhhsnvgov/content/Programs/Office_of_Analytics/Bureau%20of%20Behavioral%20Health%20Wellness%20and%20Prevention%20-%20Southern%20Epidemiologic%20Profile%20-%202023.pdf
Suicide Dashboard: https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTI5NTE2MmYtMmYyYi00NjE2LWE5YTAtZTA4NGFiMDYwYWYyIiwidCI6ImU0YTM0MGU2LWI4OWUtNGU2OC04ZWFhLTE1NDRkMjcwMzk4MCJ9
Substance Use in Nevada: https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiODQ2MjJjMjktOWE5NC00MThmLTlkMmEtYzZjMDU0YWU3MmUyIiwidCI6ImU0YTM0MGU2LWI4OWUtNGU2OC04ZWFhLTE1NDRkMjcwMzk4MCJ9
Nevada OD2A – Overdose Data to Action Program: https://nvopioidresponse.org/initiatives/od2a/#:~:text=overdose%20morbidity%20rates.-,The%20Nevada%20OD2A%20program%20Supports%20data%20reporting%20for%20the%20state’s,the%20state’s%20overdose%20mortality%20rates.
Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS): https://www.unr.edu/public-health/research-activities/nevada-youth-risk-behavior-survey
Nevada 211: https://www.nevada211.org/
Nevada Recovery Resource Hub: https://forrecovery.org/resources/
NAMI
Warmline: https://namiwesternnevada.org/resources/nevada-warmline/
Caring Contacts: https://namiwesternnevada.org/resources/nevada-caring-contacts/
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december, 2023
Publications and Reports
| Type | Group | Name | Region | Date | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Resources | NyECC Community Comprehensive Prevention Plan – 2021-2024 | Southern | 12/08/2023 | Preview Download |
| Resources | NyECC Comprehensive Prevention Plan – 2021 | Southern | 12/08/2023 | Preview Download |
| Data | Esmeralda County Opioid Plan Community Survey Presentation – December 2023 | Southern | 12/07/2023 | Preview Download |
| Data | Esmeralda County Data Report – 2017 | Southern | 12/07/2023 | Preview Download |
| Data | Esmeralda County – Community Overdose Preparedness and Response Plan – 2019 | Southern | 12/07/2023 | Preview Download |
| Data | Esmeralda County Opioid Needs Assessment Survey – 2023 | Southern | 12/07/2023 | Preview Download |
| Board Reports | Coordinator’s Update – 2023 Final | Southern | 12/05/2023 | Preview Download |
Contact
4600 Kietzke Lane, Suite I-209, Reno, NV 89502
