When the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board released its Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for Planning District 16 last year, there were some troubling signs for Caroline County.
The Community Health Assessment conducted in the county revealed significant challenges in healthcare access and health outcomes compared to the rest of the state and the planning district, which includes the City of Fredericksburg and King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties
Access to mental health providers was one of the more concerning aspects of the report, as Caroline had one per 2,130 residents.
“There are not a lot of resources here in any capacity,” said county native and licensed mental health therapist Ceyonna Lewis. “And one of the main things that is missing is resources for mental health.”
Lewis, who is heavily into fitness in addition to her profession as a therapist, decided to combine her two passions. She reached out to Bowling Green Town Manager India Adams-Jacobs with an idea for a running event to benefit mental health awareness.
Press the Issue
To register for the Mindful Miles 5k and 1-mile race, use the QR code on the flyer or visit https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/BowlingGreen/MindfulMiles5kand1Mile.
Adams-Jacobs connected Lewis with Caroline Family YMCA Executive Director Schericka Twyner, and they developed a plan for the Mindful Miles 5k and 1-mile races. The event will be held May 2 in Bowling Green with the one-mile race beginning at 8 a.m. and the 5k at 8:30.
“I thought it would be cool to put something together where the community could come together to learn more about mental health, but also with a fitness aspect,” Lewis said. “So, the goal for this race is to again bring awareness to the community.”
The deadline to register is April 21. The registration fee is $20 for the youth one-mile, $25 for the adult one-mile, and $35 for the 5k. Twyner said the initial goal was 400 participants, but registration is slow so far, so she’s now hoping for 200. It will be the first running event in Caroline in nearly a decade, and Twyner said she wanted to promote fitness and mental health while showcasing the revitalization of Main Street in Bowling Green.
“I’m a runner and I have to go to Fredericksburg or Richmond [to find races],” Twyner said. “So, the hope is we can bring racing back to Caroline and bring people to Caroline County.”
Twyner also recognized the disparities in health outcomes in Caroline. The Rappahannock Area YMCA was an active participant in developing the CHIP by pledging to establish new partnerships or collaborations with three mental health entities to facilitate community wellbeing initiatives.
Caroline has the second-highest suicide rate in the region, the highest death by drug overdose rate and the second-highest hospitalization rate because of an overdose. It also has the highest rate of avoidable hospitalizations and the worst ratio of residents per primary care provider (10,440:1) in the planning district.
“I think that there’s a direct correlation between physical activity and benefits to mental health,” Twyner said. “So, I think this is a way for us to educate the community on the benefits of walking and running, what it does for mental health and treating our health disparities across the board that we’re facing as a county.”
The RACSB put some plans in place for the county to improve its overall health. By June of 2028, crisis response protocols will be created and implemented for Caroline County Public Schools staff.
Also, in that timeframe, CCPS will have access to mental health telehealth services in its schools.
According to the CHIP, CCPS is currently using a new electronic platform to teach social interaction, cooperation, and self-regulation skills to two focus groups. One focus group is a sample of the student population in grades K-5, and the other is a sample of students in grades 6-8.
To address physical health outcomes, the Fredericksburg Food Bank will ensure that at least 50% of all purchased food is categorized as “green,” including fruits, vegetables, low-sodium items and whole grains, and 80% will be considered “yellow” as defined by the Healthy Eating Research guidelines. Yellow foods, which include bananas, yellow peppers and pineapples, are to be eaten occasionally.
Lewis said that her family has a long history of health issues, including high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiac problems, and she hopes to inspire them to become active and eat healthier.
“In this community, fitness and mental health are not really highlighted as much,” Lewis said. “So, I’m just hoping that we can bring some type of encouragement.”
