How to Adopt a Population-Based Behavioral Health Strategy

Owensboro (Kentucky) Health identified a pattern in community health needs assessments: Many people in the region required assistance with mental health.

When multiple assessments highlighted the issue, it was clear that the health system had to do something beyond providing traditional behavioral health services, said Debbie Zuerner, director of community engagement for Owensboro Health.

“That calls for action that’s not within the walls of your hospital exclusively,” she said.

What Owensboro recognized is representative of a nationwide trend: Behavioral health needs are increasing, and traditional individual-focused treatments like therapy and medication aren’t enough for providers who want to rise to the challenge. To effectively serve communities in crisis, hospitals and health systems must adopt a larger scale, population-based approach to behavioral health.

Why Traditional Treatment Isn’t Enough

We’re experiencing a national behavioral health crisis, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In 2024, approximately 23% of all adults in the U.S. had a mental illness, and 48% of those individuals didn’t receive treatment.

The HRSA notes that there are numerous barriers to access, including a shortage of behavioral health care providers. As of December 2025, 40% of the U.S. population resided in areas with mental health professional shortages.

Because of factors like stigma surrounding seeking treatment, provider shortfalls and long wait times, ramping up the provision of behavioral health services in clinical settings won’t solve the problem. This widespread issue necessitates a solution on a similar scale.

5 Essential Population-Based Behavioral Health Care Elements

Essentially, population-based behavioral health involves providing a group of people (e.g., residents of a particular geographic area) with resources to address their needs across the spectrum of care, from early intervention to clinical treatment, said Deryk Van Brunt, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and CEO and co-founder of CredibleMind, a digital mental health platform.

To improve behavioral health at a population level, care providers and community organizations should adopt a strategy that includes these foundational elements, according to the American Hospital Association’s Community Health Improvement (ACHI) network.

1 | A Digital Front Door

A digital platform with resources for education and assessment serves as a convenient and confidential starting point for people seeking behavioral health care. For example, CredibleMind serves as a resource for communities and organizations that want to establish a “digital front door” and address behavioral health needs affordably and at scale. The platform enables health systems and other organizations to offer access to evidence-based self-care tools as well as local resources like therapy and crisis care. More than half (57%) of CredibleMind users report positive behavior change.

2 | Early Risk Level Assessment

Offering assessments allows people to select resources that match their risk level. This eases the burden on care providers and mitigates the impact of the behavioral health workforce shortage. “People with low risk really prefer self-care, and people with higher risk really prefer professional services,” Van Brunt said. “It’s a natural triage mechanism.”

3 | Personalized Self-Care Options

Digital platforms can provide recommendations based on individual preferences. For instance, one person might prefer a podcast, while another might opt for an educational video.

4 | Aggregated Data

Hospitals and health systems can also analyze data gathered through digital platforms to monitor behavioral health trends in the community. For example, you can monitor which topics are the most in-demand.

5 | Connections to Care for Higher-Acuity Cases

Any digital resource should also include clear pathways to higher levels of care such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and local hospitals and health systems.

Real-Life Examples in Owensboro and Columbus

These health systems can serve as examples for providers seeking to improve behavioral health on the population level.

Columbus Regional Health: Reducing Stigma with Stories

Columbus (Indiana) Regional Health prioritized behavioral health based on the results of routine community health needs assessments, said Julie Orben, project manager for the Mental Health Matters initiative at Columbus Regional.

Columbus Regional and other organizations in the community launched Mental Health Matters to improve wellbeing in Bartholomew County. Orben identified the following factors as vital to the project’s success:

Community partnerships: Columbus Regional, Bartholomew County, the City of Columbus, Centerstone of Indiana, United Way Bartholomew County and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation form the Mental Health Matters resource team. The Bartholomew County Health Department initially introduced Mental Health Matters to CredibleMind, and Bartholomew County Commissioners and the Sheriff’s Department funded the first three years’ licensing for the platform, according to Columbus Regional. Additionally, United Way, Centerstone and other local mental health organizations and trusted community members previewed and provided feedback on the platform prior to its launch in the region.

• Mental health ambassadors: Mental Health Matters is supported by a team of trained volunteers who facilitate conversations about behavioral health in community settings such as schools and workplaces.
• Stories to combat stigma: People have shared their mental health experiences as part of the Stand Up Against Stigma campaign. Orben said the response from community members has been overwhelmingly positive: “It was people they work, live and play with. They said it offered hope.”
• Digital resources: The initiative includes access to CredibleMind for community members who benefit from evidence-based resources. Mental Health Matters has also used QR codes on materials like coffee sleeves to raise awareness about the materials available. Digital access is essential: “If someone has decided they are willing to seek help, three out of four people are going to look to a digital platform,” Orben said.

Owensboro Health: Collaborating and Raising Awareness

After identifying a behavioral health crisis, Owensboro Health launched population-level interventions for the community as well as the health system’s workforce, Zuerner said. She identified the following as keys to success:

• Acknowledgement: The first step toward improvement is acknowledging behavioral health as a top priority, Zuerner advised.
• Collaboration: Owensboro Health is part of a mental health collaborative with RiverValley Behavioral Health, a community mental health service provider, and the Green River District Health Department.
• A digital front door: Owensboro and its partners deployed CredibleMind and have customized the platform to align with community needs. For example, Zuerner said they posted resources relevant to groups like farmers and those affected by natural disasters.
• Awareness: Owensboro and its community partners promoted behavioral health resources with strategies such as QR codes, bathroom stall posters, stickers and yard signs.

At this point, the population Owensboro Health serves has taken over 13,000 assessments through CredibleMind. There’s clearly high demand for self-help resources, Zuerner said.

“Sometimes we need to read, listen, hear or interact with something that is speaking to us,” she said. “Has anyone else experienced life after a tornado? Has anyone else experienced succession planning as a farmer? Whatever that case may be, there is a resource available that can really resonate with a lot of people, and it’s a great starting point.”

The AHA and CredibleMind have joined forces to give AHA members access to affordable and high-impact solutions to improve behavioral health. Learn more.