Dr. Julie Schuller, president and CEO of Sixteenth Street Community Health Center's, at a recent bike giveaway event.
June 14, 2018
Produced by Katie Kuhn, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on the alarming rise in suicide rates in the U.S. According to their research, 28% of individuals who took their own lives in 2015 were struggling with problematic substance use.
It’s well known that the Milwaukee and Waukesha communities have been greatly impacted by the increase in heroin and other opioid-related abuse, and service providers are struggling to respond.
One challenge is the ongoing communitywide lack of substance abuse treatment providers, particularly those who speak Spanish. Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, a United Way program partner and member of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, opened its Waukesha clinic in 2012 and added substance abuse services the following year. Behavioral Health (BH) and AODA services continue to be in high demand. In 2017, SSCHC had 9,336 BH/AODA appointments --- an increase of 70% from 2016!
United Way recently made a $75,000 grant to Sixteenth Street to help them meet the need for AODA services at their Waukesha clinic. This week on Living Local, we talked with Sixteenth Street’s CEO Dr. Julie Schuller, about what this grant will allow them to do, and how they approach healthcare for both the individual and the community at large.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addicition or mental health issues, simply dial 2-1-1 to get connected to local resources that can help.
Learn more about United Way’s investments in Health.