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County epidemiologist: Plumas suicide rate remains high; methamphetamine use common among survey respondents
Summary
Plumas County epidemiologist L'Oreal Archangel presented surveillance and program analyses showing a higher-than-state suicide death rate, respiratory‑illness dashboard updates, opioid/harm‑reduction survey results (≈60% reporting methamphetamine use in the sample), and a home‑visiting prenatal‑care analysis; supervisors discussed staffing and pay to bolster behavioral‑health services.
L’Oreal Archangel, the county’s epidemiologist, told the Board of Supervisors on May 26 that Plumas County’s disease‑surveillance work and program data emphasize prevention and local needs. Archangel described regular respiratory‑illness tracking (flu, RSV and COVID) maintained on a public dashboard and summarized program data analyses for harm reduction and veteran services.
Archangel highlighted results from an opioid point‑in‑time survey: among the respondents included in the report sample, around 60 percent reported methamphetamine use in the past 90 days; about 58 participants were included in the mental‑health diagnostic breakdown, with roughly 60 percent reporting prior diagnosis of depression and many also reporting bipolar disorder or PTSD. Archangel cautioned that the opioid PIT sample represents a portion of harm‑reduction clients and is not a census of all clients.
Archangel also presented a 2026 suicide analysis showing Plumas County’s age‑adjusted five‑year aggregated suicide death rate exceeds California’s rate. She said the department produced graphics and demographic breakdowns and offered to supply additional demographic detail on request. The presentation covered a 2024 home‑visiting expansion needs assessment showing that about 45 percent of births had 10–14 prenatal visits in 2023, and Archangel noted recommended prenatal care historically ranges about 12–15 visits.
Supervisors expressed concern about the suicide and substance‑use statistics and discussed workforce challenges for behavioral‑health services. Board members pressed for recruitment and retention strategies, including pay adjustments and interdepartmental coordination; staff noted efforts to bring forward hiring and retention incentives and suggested the board consider additional investments to attract clinicians. Archangel and supervisors agreed that data should drive prevention and upstream investments.
Archangel encouraged the public and board members to use the department’s dashboard and requested support for continuing surveillance and program evaluation work that informs local policymaking and service priorities.
