Scott Hoke, professor and researcher at Cedar Crest College and a consultant with Lehigh Valley Health Network, and Kerrie Baker, chair of the college’s psychology department, joined the Communities That Care group at the June 22 meeting.

The hospital is conducting its Community Health Needs Assessment as required every three years under the Affordable Care Act. This year, its staff were interested in hearing from residents beyond the three major cities in the Lehigh Valley, including the Whitehall-Coplay area. The CTC members were encouraged to attend the focus group and provide feedback into the needs of the community.

There were members of the community, school administration and local government attending the meeting. Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. and Edward Hozza, former mayor and current director of administration for Lehigh County, were in attendance. Representing the school community were Dr. Lorie Hackett, superintendent; Jeffrey Krempasky, Whitehall Middle School assistant principal; Chad Stefanyak, guidance counselor; and Hallie Kern, Whitehall High School student. There were several other members of various community groups who participated in the focus group to lend some insight for the assessment.

Hoke spoke about the assessment and reported they want to look at the community as a whole and not just focus on the larger areas such as Allentown and Easton. According to Hoke, they want to discover emerging health needs in the county by creating a health profile of the various communities.

Many aspects of health were discussed including the differences between and, at times, overlapping components of physical and mental health. There were many instances and examples where the two areas combined.

“There’s a strong interaction between the two,” Harakal contributed.

It was mentioned often physical health problems are more apparent and easier to identify and, therefore, easier to treat.

The group was given a handout listing 13 health care needs in Lehigh County and directed to choose the ones they believe are most important for the Whitehall area. The most popular categories included children living in poverty, low food access, the fourth-grade reading proficiency and social isolation including lack of social support, depression and suicide. This final need received the most votes among the group.

When discussing the social isolation concerns, the group addressed concerns regarding the stigma of mental health, as well as the challenges in accessibility of treatment. It was mentioned that while the stigma against mental health problems is lessening, it is not gone yet. There is even a large percentage of parents who either cannot see the struggle in their children or choose not to see it.

One of the big concerns was that there is no real preventive care for depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges. Denise Continenza, CTC coordinator, stressed the importance of a strong social network to ensure no one in the community feels isolated and that there is someone who can spot the warning signs. Stefanyak brought up the fact that people have yearly checkups for their physical health and suggested a regular check on mental health at the same time.

When Hoke asked what the heath network could do to assist, the CTC members mentioned making mental health assistance more accessible to the community and to help destigmatize mental health problems.

When discussing the fourth-grade reading proficiency, mental health was once again a factor. According to the group, when the students struggle to read, it puts them behind and makes all other classes harder, which leads to self-esteem problems and may escalate to other problems, both social and academic. The widespread use of electronics was addressed as a factor in the struggle for reading proficiency. Continenza also mentioned that the community needs to open more lines of communication. There needs to be more conversations between parents and their children and between families and the community.

The low food access and children living in poverty were discussed together. Shari Noctor, chair of Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative, addressed the fact that poverty and low food access leads to health problems when children do not receive the nutrients needed for healthy living. It will also lead to mental health problems with the constant struggle. The group discussed the hopelessness and worthlessness that often accompany these needs.

Hoke reached out to the whole group and asked what the health network can do to address these problems. Continenza and Hozza immediately mentioned a need for the health network to be more active out in the community. Continenza pointed out there is no health professional in the CTC and that outreach in the community would be beneficial to all.

“It takes a village,” she said in regards to how to best help the children and the community as a whole.

Hozza mentioned the Whitehall area needs assistance with the homeless and stressed the importance of mental health help.

Hoke asked if the group believed the health network pays less attention to the nonurban areas in the county. The group unanimously agreed with the statement. Hozza followed up by mentioning that, according to the 2017 U.S. Census, Whitehall Township has more residents than Easton.

“We need help here. We have real problems,” Hozza said.

The CTC will next meet 8:30 a.m. July 20 to delve into and discuss the 2017 Pennsylvania Youth Survey. The group meets at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3355 MacArthur Road, Whitehall.