OSAGE COUNTY — A regional coalition working to prevent suicide and substance misuse is taking its efforts into local communities, seeking input from residents about barriers to treatment, gaps in available services, and ways to help people in crisis.

Members of the Tri-County Coalition for Suicide and Substance Misuse Prevention met Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Community Christian Church in Jefferson City to begin planning community conversations in Osage, Cole, and Callaway counties.

The coalition, which brings together health departments, behavioral health providers, community organizations, and residents, has spent previous meetings reviewing data, identifying shared concerns, and establishing its organizational structure. Now, members want to hear directly from the people their efforts are intended to serve.

Tri-County Coalition President Kim Sallin, who also serves as Osage County Health Department administrator, said the coalition’s research revealed a recurring problem: services may exist, but residents do not always know about them, understand how to access them, or feel comfortable seeking help.

“What role do trust and relationships play in people knowing about things and calling 988 or going in to talk to somebody because they’re struggling?” Sallin asked.

She said the coalition has identified stigma, limited awareness of available services, and difficulty reaching underserved populations as common challenges across the three counties.

The group also recognized that the people most affected by those challenges are often missing from organizational meetings. “Without having that community-level perspective, we can sit in this room and talk about it all day, but what people actually need — they’re not here,” Sallin said. “I don’t think that we’re going to figure that out without going to them.”

Although the coalition serves three counties, Sallin emphasized that the needs of individual communities may differ considerably. A lack of nearby services in one town may present a different challenge from residents being unaware of existing programs in another. The coalition hopes to use those conversations to identify needs, improve coordination among service providers, and guide future programming and funding decisions.

The urgency is particularly apparent in Osage County, where Sallin said the county has risen from 12th to eighth in Missouri for its suicide rate, based on the most recent data she reviewed. Coalition members also discussed six reported suicides in the county during the first half of 2026, compared with a previously reported average of approximately three per year. Sallin noted that suicide statistics may not capture every death, depending on how deaths are classified and reported.

The coalition then broke into groups by county to decide who would take charge of the individual meetings in each county.

During the Osage County planning discussion, members raised concerns about the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, particularly in small communities where residents may hesitate to discuss personal struggles.

Osage County Collector Denise Nolte, who volunteered to help organize the local conversations, said she believes stigma is a significant barrier. Nolte also questioned whether residents understand what happens when they contact a crisis service, even when they know the telephone number. “I don’t know what happens when I call them if I need it,” Nolte said. “I don’t know what they’re going to ask of me.”

Participants discussed the importance of hearing from people who have experienced suicidal crises, survived suicide attempts, lost loved ones, or struggled to obtain assistance for family members. They also considered the roles of first responders, faith communities, schools, and local organizations in building trust and connecting residents with help.

Rather than holding a single countywide event, Osage County participants discussed organizing conversations in several communities, allowing residents to address concerns specific to their towns.

Nolte and Chamois resident Elise Brochu volunteered to coordinate the effort, beginning with a community conversation scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Chamois Community Center, with the venue being provided by the Chamois Lions Club.

The group plans to hold additional conversations in other Osage County communities during January and February.

The format is intended to encourage discussion rather than present a formal educational program. Residents would have opportunities to describe their experiences, identify unmet needs, and suggest changes that could make assistance more accessible.

Sallin stressed that the coalition does not want to arrive with predetermined answers. “We really need the community to lead where this conversation goes,” she said, explaining that organizers want residents to have room to discuss concerns that might otherwise be overlooked.

The information gathered could help the coalition distinguish between services that are unavailable and those that exist but are poorly understood or difficult to access.

The coalition’s next full meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2027, from 1–3 p.m. at Community Christian Church in Jefferson City, when members hope to review information from the community conversations and determine their next steps.

Sallin said the goal is to move beyond discussing statistics and organizational perspectives to understanding what residents themselves need. “What is missing in your community?” she asked. “What needs are not being met?”