• Muskingum County Mental Health Needs Assessment

  • Welcome & About This Assessment

  • Thank you for taking the time to participate in the Muskingum County Mental Health Needs Assessment.

    This assessment is being conducted by Restorative Pathways Counseling in partnership with the Muskingum County Health Department and Collective Impact, an initiative of the Healthier Muskingum County Network.

    Behavioral health and mental health needs have been identified consistently through community health assessments and planning efforts in Muskingum County. However, our community has had limited detailed information about:

    • where the greatest needs exist,
    • how people experience the current behavioral health system,
    • what barriers prevent people from accessing services,
    • where existing resources are working well,
    • and where additional resources or collaboration may be needed.

    This assessment is intended to help build that deeper understanding.

    Your perspective will help us identify community strengths, service gaps, barriers to care, opportunities for collaboration, and priorities for improving behavioral health resources throughout Muskingum County and the surrounding Southeastern Ohio region.

  • How this Information Will Be Used

  • Information gathered through this assessment will support ongoing community behavioral health planning, including work connected to the existing Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

    Findings may also be used to:

    • identify priorities for future behavioral health initiatives;
    • strengthen coordination and collaboration among community organizations;
    • inform advocacy and community decision-making;
    • identify opportunities for new programs, services, funding, or partnerships;
    • support future research and data collection;
    • and track changes in community behavioral health needs over time.

    Results may be shared with community partners, organizations, policymakers, funders, and the broader community in summary or aggregate form.

  • Your Participation

  • Participation in this assessment is voluntary. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer or stop completing the survey at any time. Choosing not to participate or stopping the survey will not result in any penalty or loss of benefits or services.

    The survey should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. Questions ask about your experiences, perspectives, professional role, familiarity with behavioral health resources, and/or observations of community needs.

    Your survey responses are anonymous. We do not ask you to identify yourself within the survey.

    At the end, you will have the option to provide contact information if you would like to receive updates, participate in future discussions, or be contacted about this work. Providing contact information is completely optional.

  • Privacy & Confidentiality

  • Survey responses will be handled in a manner intended to protect participant privacy and will generally be analyzed and reported in aggregate rather than attributed to individual respondents.

    Please do not include names, identifying information, or specific details about clients, patients, or other individuals in your responses. 

    Reasonable safeguards will be used to protect all information submitted electronically. Absolute security of information transmitted online cannot be guaranteed.

  • Risks & Benefits

  • This survey is not expected to involve more than minimal risk. Some questions may ask you to reflect on challenges, unmet needs, barriers, or difficult experiences within the behavioral health system. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer.

    There may be no direct personal benefit to participating. However, your responses will contribute to a more detailed understanding of behavioral health needs, service gaps, community strengths, and opportunities for improvement within the region.

    Our goal is to move beyond simply recognizing that behavioral health is a  community priority and develop information needed to make more targeted, informed, and measureable improvements. 

  • Questions or Concerns

  • If you have questions about this survey or how your responses will be used, please contact:

    Sydney Bash, MA, LPC

    Associate Director

    Restorative Pathways Counseling 

    sydney@restorative-pathways.com

    740-214-6443

     

  • Consent for Participation

  • By selecting “I agree” and continuing to the survey, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the information on the previous page, that participation is voluntary, and that you agree to participate in this survey.
  • Do you live, work, volunteer, attend school, or provide services in Muskingum County?*
  • Are you a behavioral health provider?
  • Which best describes you?*

  • Demographics

    This section collects general demographic and socioeconomic information to help describe the individuals and communities represented in this assessment.
  • What is your age range?
  • What is your gender identity?
  • What is your sexual orientation?
  • What is your race and ethnicity (select all that apply)?
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  • What is your annual household income?
  • What type of healthcare insurance do you currently have (select all that apply)?
  • What has prevented you from obtaining health insurance?
  • What best describes your housing situation?
  • What is your current employment status?

  • EAP & Benefit Information

    This section collects information about workplace resources and benefits that support employees’ mental health and well-being.
  • Before today, were you familiar with the term Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
  • To your knowledge, does your employer offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
  • If offered, how comfortable would you feel using EAP mental health services?
  • Have you ever used EAP services?
  • What services did you use through an EAP? (Select all that apply)
  • Overall, how helpful were the EAP services you received?
  • Does your employer provide time off or flexibility to seek mental health care (therapy, medication appointments, etc.)?
  • How supportive do you feel your workplace is regarding mental health?
  • What barriers make it difficult to use workplace mental health benefits? (Select all that apply)

  • EAP & Benefit Information

    This section collects information about workplace resources and benefits that support employees’ mental health and well-being.
  • Does your organization offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
  • Does your organization provide mental health-related benefits beyond EAP services? (Select all that apply)
  • How often do employee mental health needs impact your workplace?
  • Does your organization provide time off or flexibility to seek mental health care (therapy, medication appointments, etc.)?

  • Mental Health Awareness

    This section explores participants’ awareness of local mental health resources, challenges in receiving care and experiences when receiving care.
  • Which of the following behavioral health organizations/resources have you heard of? (Select all that apply)
  • What factors would influence your choice of behavioral health provider? (Select all that apply)
  • Have you ever used telehealth (virtual) behavioral health services?
  • In the past 3 years, have you or your child (if applicable) needed/wanted behavioral health services?
  • What type of services were needed for the members in your household? (Select all that apply)
  • What challenges or barriers did you experience when trying to access behavioral health services? (Select all that apply)
  • Were you able to receive the services you needed?
  • Were the barriers you previously identified the reason you did not receive services?
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  • Please select one organization you have received services from in the past 3 years to answer the following questions
  • How would you rate your experience with services received?
  • How long did you wait between requesting services and your first appointment?
  • How often did you see your provider?
  • What type of behavioral health provider did you see? (select all that apply)
  • Did you set goals or collaborate on a treatment plan with your behavioral health provider?
  • How long did you receive behavioral health services?
  • To what extent did the services improve your situation?
  • If you stopped receiving behavioral health services prior to meeting your goals and/or your situation improving, what were the main reasons? (Select all that apply)

  • Medical Service Providers

    This section explores medical providers’ knowledge, familiarity, and experiences with mental health resources and services available within the county.
  • Which role best describes your position in the medical or healthcare field?
  • What type of healthcare setting do you primarily work in?
  • Is a behavioral health provider available onsite or within your organization for immediate consultation?
  • How well integrated are behavioral health services within your healthcare setting?
  • How confident do you feel in your ability to recognize behavioral health concerns in patients?
  • How often do you screen patients for behavioral health concerns?
  • Which screening methods are used in your setting? (Select all that apply)
  • How confident do you feel in knowing when a referral to behavioral health is appropriate?
  • In which situations do you typically refer patients to behavioral health services? (Select all that apply).
  • How do you typically connect patients to behavioral health services? (Select all that apply)
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  • How does your organization typically follow up after making a behavioral health referral? (Select all that apply)
  • After referring a patient to behavioral health services, how often do you receive confirmation that services were initiated?
  • How often do you receive feedback from behavioral health providers about patient progress?
  • When was your most recent behavioral health-related training?
  • Overall, how easy is it to connect patients with behavioral health services in your area?
  • Overall, what barriers make it difficult for you patients to connect with mental health services? (Select all that apply)

  • Behavioral Health Service Providers

    This section explores behavioral health providers’ knowledge and experiences related to local mental health services, as well as workforce factors including caseloads, client engagement, treatment planning, burnout, retention, supervision, professional support, training, and other conditions that influence the delivery of behavioral health care.
  • Which role best describes your position?
  • What populations do you primarily serve? (Select all that apply)
  • What setting do you primarily work in?
  • Do you live in Muskingum County?
  • Do you work in Muskingum County?
  • On average, how many billable hours do you provide services each week?
  • Thinking about your current caseload, approximately what percentage of clients/services are typically scheduled for each session length?
  • Thinking about your current caseload, approximately what percentage of clients/services are typically scheduled for each session length?
  • On average, how many sessions do clients attend before discharge?
  • Do you use standardized outcome measures?
  • How often are outcomes measured?
  • How helpful do you find standardized outcome measures in guiding clinical care?
  • How helpful do you find client treatment plans are in guiding your clinical decision making?
  • How often are you collaborating on/reviewing treatment goals and objectives with your client?
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  • How often do you receive internal training or professional development?
  • Which benefits are available to you? (Select all that apply)
  • How likely are you to leave your current position within the next 12 months?
  • What are the top reasons you would consider leaving? (Select up to 3)

  • School System

    This section explores teachers’, school administrators’, and school counselors’ experiences with student mental health needs, awareness and use of available resources, challenges in supporting students, and the training, supports, and services available within their schools and community.
  • What is your role in your school?
  • What grade levels do you primarily work with?
  • Does your school provide school-based behavioral health services?
  • To what extent are existing school-based behavioral health services utilized by students?
  • How beneficial do you believe school-based behavioral health services are for student outcomes?
  • How confident do you feel in your ability to recognize when a student may be experiencing mental health challenges?
  • How often do mental health concerns impact student behavior or functioning in your classroom or school environment?
  • What types of mental health concerns do you most commonly observe in students? (Select all that apply)
  • How prepared do you feel to respond to a student experiencing a mental health concern?
  • How often do student mental health concerns impact your own stress level or emotional well-being?
  • When you identify a student with mental health needs, what typically happens next? (Select all that apply)
  • What mental health resources are currently available in your school? (Select all that apply)
  • Do you feel the mental health resources available to students in your school are sufficient to meet student needs?
  • What types of behavioral health concerns do you most commonly observe in students? (Select all that apply)
  • Approximately how many students do you directly support?
  • How often are you unable to provide services due to caseload demands?
  • What behavioral health services are most needed but currently unavailable or difficult to access for students?
  • What mental health resources are currently available in your school? (Select all that apply)
  • Do you feel the mental health resources available to students in your school are sufficient to meet student needs?
  • How clear are the procedures in your school for referring a student for external behavioral health support?
  • When a student is referred for mental health support, how often are they successfully connected to services?
  • On average, how long does it take for a student to receive behavioral health services after a need is identified?
  • How often are families receptive when mental health concerns are raised with them?
  • Based on your observations, how helpful are mental health services for students who receive them?
  • How often do student mental health concerns escalate to a crisis situation before services are received?
  • How often do you receive ongoing communication from mental health providers regarding student progress when appropriate releases are in place?
  • How well do schools, healthcare providers, behavioral health providers, and community organizations coordinate to support students with mental health needs?
  • Which of the following organizations that provide behavioral health services have you heard of? (Select all that apply)
  • Which behavioral health organizations do you most commonly refer patients to? (Select all that apply)
  • In your experience, what barriers prevent students from connecting to mental health support? (Select all that apply)
  • What additional support would help you better respond to students experiencing behavioral health challenges? (Select all that apply)
  • If additional training were available, which topics would be most helpful? (Select all that apply)

  • Criminal Justice Professionals

    This section explores criminal justice professionals’ experiences with mental health and substance use needs among individuals they serve, familiarity with available behavioral health resources, challenges connecting individuals to care, and opportunities to improve collaboration and support within the community.
  • Which part of the criminal justice system do you primarily work in?
  • Which role best describes your position in the criminal justice system?
  • Which population do you primarily work with? (Select all that apply)
  • Which mental health concerns do you commonly encounter? (Select all that apply)
  • To what extent do untreated mental health needs contribute to recidivism in your population?
  • How often do you encounter individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis while on duty?
  • What is your typical response? (Select all that apply)
  • Do you feel you have sufficient options besides arrest when responding to mental health crises?
  • What may prevent you from using alternatives to arrest?
  • How often are mental health factors considered in judgement/sentencing decisions?
  • How often is trauma/impact on mental health considered in judgement/sentencing decisions?
  • What may limit the use of mental health-informed alternatives as opposed to conviction/incarceration?
  • How often are mental health needs identified in the population with which you work?
  • How are individuals typically connected to mental health services?
  • How confident are you in your ability to recognize mental health needs in individuals you work with?
  • How prepared do you feel to respond appropriately when someone is experiencing a mental health concern?
  • What types of training have you received related to behavioral health? (Select all that apply)
  • When was your most recent behavioral health-related training?
  • How confident are you in understanding available mental health resources for justice involved individuals?
  • Do you typically connect individuals to mental health services?
  • How do you typically connect individuals to mental health services? (Select all that apply)
  • What challenges or barriers do your individual’s experience when trying to connect to mental health services?
  • Which of the following organizations that provide behavioral health services have you heard of? (Select all that apply)
  • Which behavioral health organizations do you most commonly refer patients to? (Select all that apply)

  • Community Insight

    This section provides an opportunity for all participants to share their overall perspective on how well mental health needs are being met in the county, identify the resources and services most needed, highlight the greatest challenges facing the community, and provide additional insights they believe community leaders should consider.
  • Overall, how well are behavioral health needs being met in Muskingum County?
  • Would you be willing to participate in future community conversations about behavioral health needs in Muskingum County?

  • Contact Information

    Please only provider your contact information below if you are interested in participating in future research and conversations regarding mental health care in Muskingum County.
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.

  • Thank you for your desire to help!

  • Thank you for taking the time to participate in our survey. Based on your responses, you are not part of the intended participant group for this survey. We are specifically seeking input from individuals who live or work in Muskingum County or are behavioral health providers serving the Southeastern Ohio region.

    We appreciate your willingness to participate and your interest in supporting this work. We value your time and consideration!

  • Thank you for your participation!

  • Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey and share your insights, experiences, and perspectives. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and will help us better understand the needs, strengths, and opportunities within Muskingum County and the Southeastern Ohio behavioral health community.

    We truly appreciate your time and thoughtful responses. Your input will contribute to our efforts to strengthen collaboration, identify community needs, and improve behavioral health resources and services across our region.

    Thank you for being part of this important work!

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