Healthy Cabarrus director outlines substance-use, mental-health and childhood-obesity trends for Cabarrus County

Marcela Beam, executive director of Healthy Cabarrus, presented the 2017 State of the County Health Report to the Town of Harrisburg council, updating local officials on three priority areas — substance use, mental health and childhood obesity — and describing recent local efforts to respond.

Beam told the council that data collection for drug use has changed at the federal level and now separates substances; she highlighted EMS-administered naloxone calls and opioid-related deaths, saying, “In 2017, we had 27 opiate related deaths in the county, and in 2018, that did drop to 10.” She also reported that EMS continues to record roughly 20 overdoses per month on average, with a recent uptick to about 34 in June, and cautioned staff are watching whether that is a peak or a continuing trend.

Beam described local responses aimed at reducing harm and supporting recovery. She said the Cabarrus County Jail implemented the Stepping Up Initiative with an on-site coordinator who screens newly booked people for substance use and mental-health needs and connects them to transition services, and that Daymark Recovery Services now provides case managers to follow people after release. She noted peer-support specialists are embedded with the county’s health alliance and in emergency departments to assist patients and families after an overdose.

On mental health, Beam summarized emergency-department trends and training efforts: psychiatric ED admissions rose slightly between 2015 and 2017 and fell in 2018, with geriatric psychiatric admissions up in part because of specialized services at a regional facility. She said about 277 people in Cabarrus County have been trained in Mental Health First Aid and that EMS staff have been trained as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) trainers to expand suicide-prevention capacity.

Beam also reviewed childhood-obesity initiatives tied to school and clinic outreach, noting pediatric-obesity rates were largely unchanged and the county has distributed more than 4,000 water bottles and run events such as a “5-2-1-0 Day of Play” to encourage healthy behavior. She said WIC benefits recently moved from paper vouchers to an EBT-style card, which should ease access for some families.

Council members asked for clarification about the data and whether trends are improving; Beam attributed some variation to data-lag and survey changes and emphasized the need for family engagement on childhood nutrition. She offered to follow up with more detailed numbers and sources on request.

The council did not take action on the presentation; the report was provided as information and the presenter invited follow-up questions by email or phone.