One click to help

Finding help is just a click away with the new Jasper County Resource Guide available on the county’s website. The project was developed in collaboration between the Jasper County Health Department, Jasper County IT and Jasper County Cares Coalition (JCCC), and it provides almost 200 available services throughout the county.

“Jasper County Cares has continued to grow with health and human service providers serving Jasper County. We are always getting phone calls or people asking where they go to get help for things like mental health, food programs, help for seniors to transportation needs,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said. “Jasper County Health Department has been doing the guide in a Word document for a few years, but we really wanted something user friendly.”

Recently, the county updated its website and Pryor found out there was a way to add the guide to the site. She wrote a grant and was supported by the board of supervisors to move forward with providing the information on an easy-to-use online format.

“We worked with the JCCC which has a distribution list of over 190 people that serve Jasper County,” Pryor said. “This includes all the schools, law enforcement, health and human service agencies. We worked together to make categories of services that many people often request.”

Pryor will continue to update the document as information changes or need to be added. She hopes by making the guide available online, people will have an easier, more readily available source to find organizations that serve Jasper County residents.

“For example, if you click on substance misuse and treatment, it will bring up all the known resources,” Pryor said. “You can also search for keywords, like ‘Pregnancy,’ and it will bring up anything related.”

The public can access the information by going to jasperia.org/resources or visiting the Jasper County website, jasperia.org and searching “resource guide” in the search box. It is also available through the Resource Guide icon on the Public Health section of the county website.

Once in the guide, by clicking on a category, information from just that section can be accessed and printed.

“I hope that people can get access to all the wonderful, diverse services that are available in Jasper County, and it helps organizations better serve others,” Pryor said. “The Jasper County Cares leadership team feels like we have numerous resources, but many times people just don’t know about what is available to them.”

Pryor is also very proud of the work the JCCC has done to network and build relationships with area providers. As the group continues to grow, more gaps will be filled in areas needed by community members of all ages throughout the county.

“In a recent survey the JCCC said the top two strengths are the community collaboration and participation and growth of JCCC and the amazing amount of health and human services and resources available in Jasper County,” Pryor said. “We have people coming from other counties asking to attend Jasper County Cares because they want to replicate in their county. Many say how amazed they are that so many organizations in Jasper County really care and take the time to come together to learn and share about resources available in Jasper County.”

For more information about the Jasper County Resource Guide, contact the Jasper County Health Department at 641-787-9224.