Approved Minutes of August 23 2023

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MINUTES-Draft ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 23,2023 • Ms. Pfeifer shared risks and needs in Orange County based on young people who are currently in the system, highlighting several statistics (e.g., felony referrals, school attendance, prior drug or alcohol use) where Orange County is scoring worse than the state rate. She stated that in Orange County, 80% of the young people currently in the system are at high risk of remaining in the system due to their behaviors. She also discussed racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system, drawing attention to the fact that youth of color in Orange County are 5x more likely to receive a delinquent complaint compared to their white peers and that Black students in Chapel Hill are 11.8x more likely to be suspended from school than their white peers. • Ms. Pfeifer discussed mental health concerns and school support in Orange County, mentioning that since the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in mental health risk assessments, suicidal ideation, and suicide risk among young people. Ms. Pfeifer mentioned that LGBTQ+ youth were disproportionately at risk for suicide, with higher risk of experiencing ideation (44% vs. 16% of non-LGBTQ+ peers) and higher risk of attempting suicide (22% vs. 8% non-LGBTQ+ peers). On behalf of Dr. Crandell, Ms. Stewart asked about poisoning as a method of self-inflicted injury and if it was known what substances young people were using to induce poisoning. Dr. Pickett and Dr. Stuebe suggested Tylenol was a common method of overdose, and Dr. Rodgers echoed that Tylenol or a family member's medication are commonly used to induce poisoning. Ms. Pfeifer agreed that this sounded likely, though she wasn't 100% certain. • Ms. Pfeifer highlighted some specific issues that she felt were critical to improving youth mental and behavioral health outcomes, including difficulties accessing health insurance, a lack of access to mental health services, unstable/unaffordable housing situations, limited services for undocumented youth, few rehab facilities available to minors, and transportation barriers. Ms. Pfeifer emphasized that many of these issues are intergenerational and cyclical, where young people cannot find positive ways to meet their needs and so turn to negative ones instead. She recommended building up community strengths and wellness and promoting restorative justice in the county. • Board members and Ms. Pfeifer discussed possible ways to support young people in Orange County. Dr. Pickett asked about Restorative Justice Durham, a program operating in Durham County, and Ms. Pfeifer stated that a similar program was not currently active in Orange County, but she hoped would be in the future. Dr. Stuebe mentioned Dr. Shawn Ginwright's work on Healing Centered Engagement vs. the tenets of trauma-informed care, specifically highlighting the idea of"what's right with you" as opposed to "what's wrong with you?" Ms. Pfeifer commented that the justice system creates further trauma rather than healing it. Dr. Rodgers recommended educating school staff about racial disparities and specifically comparing disciplinary rates for the same infractions for white vs. Black students to draw attention to the problem. Mr. Bagby shared a recent back-to-school event he attended celebrating young people and asked if there were further opportunities to get involved; Ms. Pfeifer invited him to speak with her after the meeting about the Youth Deflection program. B. Family Success Alliance Update Crystal Kelley, Health and Human Services Manager, and Dana Crews, Community Health Services Division Director, presented the Family Success Alliance (FSA) program update. Ms. Kelley gave a summary of the structure and goals of the FSA program and shared an update on recent work and achievements. Below are some highlights of the presentation: S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda&Abstracts\2023 Agenda&Abstracts/ August Page 4