2016 Wake County Community Health Needs Assessment  

Wake County Government, public and private hospitals, health care providers, social service stakeholders, and community members work together to create the Wake County Community Health Needs Assessment every three to four years. The document measures various health markers across the county and identifies priorities of immediate focus. The document is crucial in shaping Behavioral Health policy inside Wake County.

SAS – Wake County Familiar Faces Study

Small segments of Wake County’s population engage with emergency medical, homelessness, and jail services at an elevated rate. Chronic interaction with emergency and criminal justice systems is  expensive and ineffective. Deep dives into relevant data – led by SAS - resulted in a clearer understanding of chronic use patterns and strategies to improve stability, health, and quality of life for Wake County’s familiar faces

NCSU Jail Project

This project aimed to help the Wake County Jail operate more efficiently and promote public safety, but also to improve the care and outcomes of those with mental health problems. Our overall goal was to develop a better understanding of the mental health needs of detainees booked into the Wake County Jail

2015 Wake County Youth Well-Being Report

The academic, vocational, social, civic, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as the safety of Wake County youth was studied through a variety of different data sources.

2012 Wake County Human Services Health Indicator Report

A collection of 36 county level data points relevant to Social Determinants of Health, the WC Community Health Needs Assessment priorities, County Health Rankings, Wake County Board of Commissioners Goals, and the Wake County Human Services board priorities. The Report is organized into Community Health, Physical environment, and Profile of the County. 

2018 North Carolina Minority Health Report

Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in North Carolina Health Equity Report 2018 is a tool that measures and monitors the state’s progress toward eliminating the health status gaps experienced by racial/ethnic minorities. The report provides current data that can aid community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, tribal governments, local health departments, state agencies, legislators, local businesses, and communities in devising services and outreach plans. The report also informs key decision makers about eliminating health disparities through policy reform and system change. 

Healthy NC 2020

An assessment of North Carolina’s current state of health and course for improvement. North Carolina is ranked in the bottom third of many national health categories despite making measurable improvements over the last two decades. A diverse task force has charted specific action plans to improve statewide health over thirteen specific focus areas. By order of the governor these benchmark goals should be both aspirational and achievable. 

APA – Healthy Communities Policy Guide

“The Healthy Communities Policy Guide addresses challenges derived from our built, social, and natural environment, provides recommendations for policies to address the social determinants of health by improving opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy food, which enables numerous social equity benefits, and helps policy makers at all levels of government better integrate health considerations into planning processes and outcomes.”

NACCHO 2017 Annual Report

NACCHO stands for National Association of County & City Health Officials. Their annual report highlights priorities of health departments across the country.

Economic Roundtable: Prioritizing Homeless Assistance Using Predictive Algorithms: An Evidence-Based Approach

This is a triage tool for connecting homeless persons who are high-cost users of public services with permanently affordable housing. No other tools predict high-cost users within the homeless population. The article ends with a discussion of ways to use the tool, limitations of it, and recommendations.

(No direct pdf link is available. Accessible through the Economic Roundtable site only.)

In July 2022, Wake County engaged Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) to assess our county’s behavioral health crisis service system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current continuum of crisis services and compare those to national best practices. This study helps identify strengths and gaps in available services and makes recommendations for system improvements, most needed services and most effective uses of county funds. It also takes into consideration potential state and federal policy changes that might impact behavioral health services in the coming years.

HSRI completed their work in May 2023 and the final report is available.

Moving forward, the County and partners will use this report to help guide our decisions. We will deliberately and thoughtfully review the findings and recommendations and work with partners to continue to improve the crisis continuum in Wake County.