Welcome
District 5710 Mental Health Task Force
In 2023, a group of Kansas Rotarians answered the call of RI President Gordon McInally and other national and local leaders to explore how clubs might take a more active role in improving mental health, especially in Kansas.
A project was commissioned with support from the Kansas Health Foundation. This effort sought to explore what a reimagined engagement model for collective action across clubs might entail, with an initial focus on bringing members together around the issue of mental health.
- Mental health felt like a particularly useful topic to focus on, given that it is an important issue on its own, but it is also deeply intertwined with many of the other issues that Rotary cares about, like human trafficking, maternal and child health, poverty, etc.
Key external and internal partners were interviewed to gather their insights. People shared:
- There is enthusiasm and resources for taking action on mental health.
- Rotary has a reputation for being a stable organization with strong, existing infrastructure and a history of taking bold action.
- Rotary’s network of diverse members who represent a variety of sectors, and have a passion for supporting their community, is also a perceived strength.
Kansas Rotary members were also surveyed to incorporate their input on the model and issue of mental health. We found:
- Survey respondents understand and believe in Rotary’s mission.
- They enjoy working together and many feel their club has the capacity to be more active in their communities.
- Most respondents want more information about what a mental health initiative might look like but also feel Kansas Rotary could make a meaningful contribution to improving mental health outcomes in the state.
- Mental health is relevant- the vast majority of respondents know a Kansan with mental illness.
- Locally focused projects that involve hands-on community service are preferred.
- Most commonly cited assets are relationship-based, connecting clubs to schools, Chambers of Commerce, local government, etc.
Priorities across all data sources (interviews, survey, research) showed consensus around stigma-free, youth-centered, and workforce efforts. As a result, the piloting of the engagement model focuses learning and action around these three areas.
The proposed engagement model has four stages for clubs to work through on any given issue:
- Awareness- identify the issue
- Consideration- build interest by learning together
- Action- implement interventions identified as important and useful by the club
- Reflection – assess progress and lessons learned and use this to inform the next iteration
Recommended first three steps to pilot the model with the issue of mental health include:
- Solidify the charge of the Kansas Rotary Mental Health Taskforce, asking them to serve in a visionary, leadership role in terms of oversight of the collective efforts of Kansas Rotary Clubs
- Diversifying membership to be more representative of Kansas Rotary Clubs is a key step
- Create a Kansas-based Rotary Action Group (RAG) on Mental Health, inviting participation from survey respondents who provided their information and volunteered to take a leadership role on the issue
- Deploy the model, issue, and vision to clubs
- Encourage participation by asking clubs to:
- Take the Stigma-Free Mental Health Pledge as part of the “Stigma-Free Rotary” approach
- Identify a champion to lead their local committee and recruit other interested members as well as coordinate for their club
- Incorporate this work into the club strategic plan
- Agree on strategies for learning about mental health
- Set goals
- Track implementation of activities
- Document reflections and how it will inform future efforts