What the Best Do Better for Community Mental Health

How local leaders are achieving better Population Behavioral Health, one coalition, communication strategy, and conversation at a time.

At NACCHO360 2025, CredibleMind joined thousands of public health professionals to exchange practical ideas and real-world solutions. One major takeaway: community mental health needs are growing, and so is our ability to respond with smarter strategies, stronger partnerships, and better technologies.

CredibleMind brought data, stories, and perspectives on practical, simple, and affordable ways to achieve this goal: Population Behavioral Health, Simplified. Here is a collection of reflections on conversations, data, and stories shared by attendees – the true leaders in the field.

1. Start with your Workforce: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

To optimally support the health of your community, start by supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the team that does the work. In our session, “Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First, Fortifying the Mental Health and Culture of the Public Health Workforce” we explored the deep strain on public health teams:

• 39% reported burnout in 2024
• More than half experienced anxiety, depression, or PTSD
• Many described feeling politically vulnerable, underfunded, and overstretched

However, there are reasons to be hopeful. Our co-presenters shared promising examples of what’s working. Olmsted County, MN reported on  a replicable approach featuring monthly mental wellbeing assessments, mental health first aid training, and culture-building moments like lunchtime board games. Leadership plays a key role in shaping a supportive workplace culture.

2. It Takes a Village: Build Coalitions for Better-Together Impact

CredibleMind’s “It Takes a Village” session and Fireside Chat lifted up the power of local partnerships. These weren’t one-off initiatives. They were embedded community efforts:

• Sauk County, WI partnered with rural farmer networks and law enforcement
• Oldham County, KY tapped into youth councils and local schools
• Douglas County, NE used MAPP 2.0 to broaden their coalition playbook

These communities demonstrated how to keep outreach both practical and engaging, from bilingual bookmarks to routine planning sessions.

3. Simplify the Path: Guided by Data, Scaled with Technology

With rising demand and limited provider capacity, communities need screening, early intervention, and practical and affordable ways to triage needs. That’s where the Behavioral Health 360 Program comes in. Launched in August 2023, it’s already delivering measurable impact:

• Over 400,000 people engaged
• More than 2 million minutes of on-platform interaction
• 81% of low-to-moderate risk users engage in self-care
• 33% of high-risk users engage in clinical care

In Monterey County, CA, CredibleMind’s SmartScreen tripled access to mental health services. It reached young people, Spanish speakers, and those at highest risk, while also helping lower overall system-wide costs.

It’s a real example of simplifying Population Behavioral Health—using digital tools to connect people to the support they need, when they need it.

4. What the Best Do Better: Five Habits of High-Impact Programs

Across every panel, workshop, and breakout, five cost-effective practices emerged:

1. Build a Broad Coalition
2. Have a Strong Local Champion
3. Use Digital Outreach Strategically
4. Leverage Multiple Engagement Channels
5. Keep Messaging Fresh & Frequent

These are the patterns behind successful programs. They show that meaningful impact is possible, even without a large budget. It’s about consistent, community-centered work.

5. Data + Storytelling = Momentum

Data helps us understand what’s working. Stories bring it to life. We saw both in action:

• A teacher using CredibleMind to build a “choose your own adventure” activity for students
• A rural community launching Facebook ads on postpartum depression
• A health department using usage data to adjust messaging in real time

Whether you’re a county just starting or a seasoned coalition, success comes from listening, learning, and sharing what’s working.

Final Thoughts on Population Behavioral Health, Simplified

CredibleMind’s mission is to take the complexity and cost out of population-level behavioral health strategies, and to make it easier for public health leaders to create impact, even in challenging budgetary times. NACCHO360 reinforced a core principle: powerful progress comes from having the right team, the right tools, the right data, and coalitions of committed partners.

Let’s keep learning together. If your organization is ready to improve community-wide mental health outcomes with affordable, scalable, and science-backed tools, reach out to us.

Let’s simplify Population Behavioral Health—together.