Bringing Health to the Community

On Tuesday, January 21, a Health Fair was held at the Frederick Kelly Elks Lodge−510 East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Brooksville. People Helping People received a grant to host the fair, and the YMCA and the Elks Club partnered with them to organize the event.

Gerry Whitted, a member of the YMCA advisory council, stated, “The purpose of the health fair was to reach out to the under-served area of South Brooksville and enhance the quality of life of the community.”

Various health-related organizations had tables set up displaying their literature, and representatives were present to discuss health issues with the attendees. Free blood pressure tests and tetanus shots were available, as well as screenings for diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis A and B.

Andrea Daigle, a tobacco treatment specialist with AHEC (Gulfcoast North Area Health Education Center), explained that her organization conducts free seminars to help people quit smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. These workshops are held during the day and evening at various locations, such as the YMCA. They are also conducted via Zoom. For those who don’t speak English, they offer classes in Spanish.

The workshops cover the psychological reasons people start smoking in the first place and have such a hard time quitting and the physical effects of tobacco products. Attendees can receive free Nicorette gum, lozenges and patches to aid them in their tobacco cessation efforts.

At the moment, they’re offering an incentive: Walmart gift cards to people who complete the class. The next local session is on February 9th, 10:00 a.m.–noon, at Premier Community Healthcare, 300 South Main Street in Brooksville. You can attend in person or virtually.

Other locations and dates are listed on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GCNorthAHEC Their phone number is 813-929-1000. You can also email [email protected] for additional details.

Dale Watson represented the Tobacco Intervention Partnership. She explained that their mission is to mobilize the community and advance local policies that will help end nicotine addiction, protect children, and improve public health. Their goals are to decrease exposure to secondhand smoke, eliminate the initiation of tobacco use, advocate for tobacco policies that improve the public’s health, educate the public on the health effects of tobacco use, and counter tobacco marketing tactics. They meet once a quarter, and their meetings are open to the public. For more details, email: [email protected].

Joe Nolan and Caron Daniels are Adult Peer Support Specialists with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Both have had personal experiences with mental illness and addiction issues. Therefore, they have firsthand knowledge of the struggles that people go through.

Nolan and Daniels help people with applications for government assistance for disability. They also put together a Wellness Recovery Action Plan in case someone relapses. They help people identify their triggers and their symptoms. One of NAMI’s goals is to erase the stigma associated with Substance Abuse.

NAMI offers peer-to-peer classes. The organization is not just there for the individual struggling with mental illness; it’s for family members also. They have groups that educate the family members on how to better understand what their loved ones are going through. There are also youth specialists that help teens and children. Some of them suffer from their own issues due to their loved one’s mental health struggles.

Tracie Eagle, a Recovery Community Center director, organizes events such as this health fair. She also guides people who are looking for recovery solutions and resources in the community.

Another thing that NAMI does is mail out drug disposal kits that people can use to safely dispose of old prescription drugs that are either outdated or that individuals no longer take.

One of the ongoing programs that NAMI offers is Grief Support to those whose loved ones have passed away. Group sessions are held every Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

NAMI is located at 40340 Commercial Way (U.S. Hwy 19) in Spring Hill. For more information, call 352-684-0004 or go to www.namihernando.org.

Jennifer Bliska is a project director with Hernando Community Coalition (HCC). Their goal is to enhance the health and wellness of the community. This is done through prevention in the area of substance misuse, whether it’s alcohol and tobacco, prescription drugs or illegal drugs.

They also distribute information about mental health and educate people about resources that are available. For example, they visit Senior Living Facilities, give presentations and supply the residents with medical items so that they don’t have to purchase them at the drug stores. They also educate the seniors about their choices regarding medications.

Narcan is a very important free tool that HCC distributes. It comes in a nasal spray form and can be administered by a layperson to counter the effects of an opioid or suspected opioid overdose.

They also do presentations at schools, organizations, community centers, PTAs and other groups about substance misuse trends that are going on and provide links to resources where people can find information and help. The Hernando Community Coalition (HCC) is located at 13001 Spring Hill Dr. For information, call 352-596-8000 or go to www.hernandocommunitycoalition.org

Justin McBrien and Beth Reckner, Outreach and Prevention Facilitators with Baycare Behavioral Health, were at the fair to educate people about their organization. Baycare Behavioral Health is an outpatient facility that treats mental health issues. They work with families and individuals (both adults and children of all ages). They go into the schools and teach life skills such as how to deal with stress and anger to students. They work with children to help them avoid going down the path of drug use.

Their Mobile Crisis Response Team (MRT) is available 24/7 to intervene for people who are in a crisis situation by trying to prevent them from going into a Baker Act facility.

Their Community Action Team (CAT) provides services to young people ages eleven to twenty-one who have a mental or substance use diagnosis. Some of its goals are to improve school behavior, grades and attendance, to decrease out-of-home placements, and to improve family relationships. Baycare Behavioral Health is located at 15311 Cortez Blvd. in Brooksville. For more information, go to www.BaycareBehavioralHealth.org or call 352-521-1474.

Grace and Nathanael, two nursing students from St. Leo University, represented People Helping People (PHP). The students are doing their clinical hours at PHP. Their duties include doing intake at the on-site clinic and assisting the nurse practitioners. The students also help deliver food to the homeless.

People Helping People is a non-profit organization offering a variety of services at no charge to people who might not otherwise have access to these resources. These include free meals at the center, groceries for people who can’t afford them, weekend non-perishable food items for school children that they can take home to their families, shower facilities for the homeless, and a free clinic.

People Helping People is located at 1396 Kass Circle in Spring Hill in the back of the shopping center. If you are in need of these services or want to volunteer, call (352) 686-4466. For more information, log on to www.phphernando.org.

Besides the organizations at the health fair, there are two very important resources available to people. These phone numbers should be affixed to your refrigerator or kept close by in case of an emergency. These are the National Helpline (1-800-273-8255) and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255).

Health fairs, such as the one held on January 21, illustrate that you are never alone in dealing with any type of mental or physical health issue, regardless of your finances. Help is just a phone call away.