Our Products, Portal, and Projects
Read below to learn more about the topical projects we run, the public health products we offer, and our partner portal. Whether you're interested in getting involved with one of our topical projects or interested in using tools or resources we have for partners, this page should get you where you need to go. Click the buttons below to jump down to the appropriate sections
Projects
Partner Portal
On the Portal, you can access our data and strategy reports, our dashboards, and the evidence-based health communications campaigns that we have designed and built messaging for.
Cortland County Youth Survey
Each year since 2002, RHI has anonymously and confidentially surveyed youth in middle and high school to better understand our community's emerging needs. We have expanded this survey from a basic substance use prevention focus to be a broader, whole health surveillance tool. The Youth Survey shows us what the most prevalent social, mental, and physical health challenges are and what groups have the greatest need. This data infrastructure has allowed us to bring in funding and other resources to better support our youth and respond to their current needs.
As we expand beyond Cortland, we want to help build other communities collect similar local data to help inform their decision-making, apply for grants and other funding, and better understand and meet local needs.
If you're interested in implementing our youth survey in your community, reach out to us below!
Projects
Cortland Literacy Coalition and Lead Task Force
The Cortland County Literacy Coalition collaboration strives toward a shared vision that all children will read on grade level by the end of third grade. Partnering organizations utilize data to improve accessibility to education and literacy services.
Starting in the spring of 2025, the Cortland County Health Department and RHI are collaborating to form a Lead Task Force. This Task Force is supported by grants from the Mother Cabrini Foundation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Youth Substance Use and Primary Prevention
RHI has been contracted to provide primary prevention services in Tompkins County. We're excited to apply our two-decades of experience doing prevention work in and around Cortland County as we collaborate with Tompkins County partners.
Harm Reduction
RHI works with a wide range of community partners to prevent harms associated with drug use, legal or not. We recognize that there are risks associated with using any drugs, and that there are things that we as individuals, communities, and governments can do to keep people safer, to reduce the risk of harm.
Mental Health Awareness Training | Suicide Prevention
The Mental Health Awareness Training Grant allows us to organize free, evidence-based mental health trainings to the community. We also work closely with the Cortland Suicide Prevention Coalition, SPEAK UP. Please reach out if you, or your organization, are interested. These trainings include:
Youth Mental Health First Aid - A day of training for adults who regularly engage with adolescents to recognize the signs of a mental health or substance use crisis and how to de-escalate a child in crisis, then connect them to resources in the community.
SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Training - A 3 hour gatekeeper training opportunity to recognize the signs of someone experiencing suicidality, and how to de-escalate a suicidal crisis, connecting them to the resources they need.
Crisis Intervention Training - A week of training for Law Enforcement and First Responders in mental health and crisis response to enhance their professional knowledge in approaching a person in crisis.
Cortland County Housing and Homelessness Coalition and the Grace Space
A diverse coalition is working towards our housing goals. For over a year, a group has been meeting about the ongoing housing and homelessness problems in Cortland. This group includes City and County officials, non-profit organizations, and community organizations. This group is working to address the big-picture factors that make homelessness the problem it is here while also meeting the needs of people who need housing support now.
As of Spring 2024, RHI is facilitating this Coalition as well as providing data and communications support. You can read more about the Coalition, its members, and work below.
