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Introduction

Mending a Broken Heartland is such a compelling title, how could anyone resist the temptation to pick up this publication? Written in the 1980s by Joyce Barrett, it details how rural communities find ways to survive through the farm crisis. However, even with all the concern, it is well documented that rural America still lags behind its urban counterparts in mental health care, with little difference between the prevalence of clinically defined mental health problems in urban America versus rural. Rural America continues to suffer from an economic crisis; besides farming, there are other struggling industries related to natural resources - such as mining and logging - that are experiencing a net loss in economic strength. Jobs are scarce in rural America, local businesses and services are closing, and young people are moving to the urban areas leaving the elderly back home. The need for outreach and community-based mental health services is as critical in rural communities as it is in urban regions but the health care just isn't there to do the mending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tools

APA Help Center
Web site
An online resource for brochures, tips and articles on the psychological issues that affect an individual's physical and emotional well-being, as well as information about referrals.
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association

Assertive Community Treatment Evidence-Based Practice KIT
Web site
Designed to help communities develop programs that teach people with mental illnesses skills for living in the community rather than in a hospital. Kit is available in PDF and as a CD/DVD set.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Beyond Depression Toolkits
Web site
Toolkits intended to increase best practice treatment, appropriate help-seeking and self-care for those diagnosed with depression, and effective family and community support for people with major depression.
Sponsoring organization: Higher Plain, Inc.

Children's Mental Health Facts: Children and Adolescents with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Web site
Provides basic information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and describes an approach to getting services and supports.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Mental Health Services Locator
Web site
Provides state-specific information about mental health services, substance abuse treatment programs and resources nationwide for professionals, consumers and their families, and the public.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Co-Occuring and Homeless Activities Branch (CHAB)
Web site
Helps SAMHSA grantees, health professionals, and the public address problems of homelessness and co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders through a web site providing documents, tools, and contacts, including resources specific to rural America.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Coping With Traumatic Events
Web site
Resources for coping in the aftermath of a tragedy. Consists of various publications for specific audiences, such as responders, schools, and families.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Cultural Competency Toolkit: Ten Grant Sites Share Lessons Learned
Web site
Provides an overview of 10 model cultural competency programs. Includes their project goals, implementation plans, and program materials. This information will assist other consumer supporter organizations to launch similar cultural competency outreach programs.
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America

Depression Medicines To Help You
Web site
A guide to help women talk to their doctor or pharmacist about medicines called antidepressants that can help treat depression.
Sponsoring organization: Food and Drug Administration

Ensuring the Seventh Generation: A Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Tribal Child Welfare Programs
Web site
Toolkit intended for tribal child welfare workers and care providers discussing: child and youth suicide risk factors; specific risk factors associated with children served in child welfare; warning signs for caseworkers and care providers to be alert to; suicide prevention and intervention strategies that can be applied in child welfare agencies; and mobilization of support networks around particular children.
Sponsoring organization: National Indian Child Care Association

Finding Stone Counseling Center Hotline Telephone Numbers
Web site
A list of mental health agencies and their toll free telephone numbers that provide hotline (therapy) service regarding child abuse, domestic abuse, self abuse, drug abuse, and runaway children.

Grading the States: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illness
Web site
Provides information on the mental health care system for each state.
Sponsoring organization: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Health System Reform: Join the Conversation
Web site
Provides a space for posting and exchanging ideas about issues surrounding the future shape of the U.S. health system, specifically relevant to how reform may affect mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services. User posts will be public and used to inform upcoming national discussions on the topic.
Sponsoring organization: SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination & Stigma Associated with Mental Illness

Hurricane and Other Disaster Relief Information
Web site
Provides resources to aid in the hurricane recovery process.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

MayoClinic.com
Database
Provides information on diseases and conditions, drugs, books, first aid, health tips and more.
Sponsoring organization: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

National Center for PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
Web site
Serves as an educational resource on PTSD and traumatic stress, for veterans and also for mental health care providers, researchers and the general public.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center (NCSTAC)
Web site
The purpose of the center is to strengthen consumer organizations that support mental health by providing technical assistance in the form of research, informational materials, and financial aid.

National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
Web site
A directory of Consumer-Driven Services (CDS) that provides consumers, researchers, administrators, service providers, and others with a comprehensive central resource for information on national and local consumer-driven programs. These programs have a proven track record in helping people recover from mental illnesses.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hotline/Toll Free Telephone
Provides immediate assistance to individuals in suicidal crisis by connecting them to the nearest available suicide prevention and mental health service provider through a toll-free telephone number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is the only national suicide prevention and intervention telephone resource funded by the Federal Government.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Participatory Dialogues: A Guide To Organizing Interactive Discussions on Mental Health Issues Among Consumers, Providers, and Family Members
Web site
Designed to stimulate and promote dialogue among States, local communities, providers, managed care organizations, advocates, family members, and consumers.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource Center for Rural Behavioral Health
Web site
A resource for providers, purchasers, and consumers of mental health care in frontier and rural areas. Includes full text documents, links to resources on the Internet, and a listing of rural psychology internship and training programs.
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association

Resources for Returning Veterans and Their Families
Web site
Provides information for returning veterans on accessing mental health and substance abuse services and for military families on coping with trauma.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Rural Health Research: Mental health
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of mental health, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway

Rural Mental and Behavioral Health: A Web Portal for Rural Communities
Web site
Works to help communities to enhance social and emotional outcomes for children and families in rural and frontier areas.
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention

SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC)
Web site
Supports SAMHSA's efforts to prepare States, Territories, and local entities to deliver an effective mental health and substance abuse (behavioral health) response during disasters through resource collections and toolkits as well as a quarterly e-newsletter.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

SAMHSA Guide: Getting Through Tough Economic Times
Web site
Provides information and resource referrals for people dealing with emotional or other health problems associated with economic hard times.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
Web site
A resource of organizations and more than 600 documents regarding mental health topics. Provides information about mental health via a toll-free telephone number (800-789-2647). Trained staff directs callers to Federal, State, and local organizations dedicated to treating and preventing mental illness. Includes a Mental Health Services Locator for access to services by state. Includes hurricane and disaster relief information.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Shaping Mental Health Services Toward Recovery: Supported Employment
Web site
Helps people with mental illnesses and other disabilities find and keep competitive employment within their communities.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Sowing the Seeds of Hope
Web site
Provides behavioral health services to uninsured, underinsured and other at-risk farm and ranch families and agricultural workers in seven states: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Sponsoring organization: AgriWellness, Inc.

State Profiles of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Medicaid
Web site
Consists of a summary of each state's coverage of behavioral health in Medicaid and in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) Card
Web site
Guides clinicians through five steps which address the patient’s level of suicide risk and suggest appropriate interventions.
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Suicide Prevention Information Guide
Web site
Provides information, resources and frequently asked questions related to suicide prevention in rural areas.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center

Suicide Prevention Information State Pages Including Territories
Web site
Highlights suicide prevention information specific to each state and eight U.S. territories. Each page consists of recent developments, history of suicide prevention efforts, and data specific to that territory.
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Web site
Provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Rural Primary Care
Web site
Contains the information and tools needed to implement state-of-the-art suicide prevention practices in rural primary care settings.
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Suicide State Data Fact Sheets
Web site
Individual state data fact sheets that include statistics on deaths by suicide, estimated hospitalized attempts, and data on medical costs, work loss costs, gender, race/ethnicity, age and method of suicide in the U.S.
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health (TA Partnership)
Web site
Provides technical assistance and information resources to system of care communities funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program.
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Funding

Regional Community Health Grants Program
This program provides funding focused on reducing disparities in health care among racial and ethnic populations in eligible geographic areas.

Research on Rural Mental Health and Drug Abuse Disorders (R01)
Grants to stimulate research on mental health, HIV/AIDS and/or drug abuse problems in rural and frontier communities.

SAMHSA Knowledge Dissemination Conference Grants
Funding for disseminating knowledge about practices within the mental health services and substance abuse prevention and treatment fields and integrating that knowledge into real-world practice as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Funding to provide prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies.

Inactive Funding

Inactive Funding Opportunities - Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.

Maps & Map Collections

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health, Clinician Priority Scores
Geographic coverage: United States
Printable map that shows the clinician priority scores of dental HPSAs nationwide. These scores are used by the National Health Service Corps in determining priorities for assignment of clinicians. Scores range from 1 to 25, with higher scores having greater priority. Data source: Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, July 2008.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Date: 2009

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health, Designated Populations
Geographic coverage: United States
Printable map that shows the location and type of population that is underserved for population group mental health HPSAs nationwide. Data source: Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, July 2008.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Date: 2009

Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health, Designated Type
Geographic coverage: United States
Printable map that shows the designated types of mental health HPSAs, Population Group, Single County, and Geographical Area, nationwide. Data source: Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, July 2008.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Date: 2009

Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents

"Teen Screen" Rural Health Clinics Technical Assistance Conference Call Transcript, 7/14/2009
Sponsoring organization: Office of Rural Health Policy
Transcript of the July 14, 2008 technical assistance call for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) about "TeenScreen," a program identifying depression and mental health screening for adolescents.
Date: 07 / 2009

Action Plan for Behavioral Health Workforce Development
Author(s): Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Describes a broad, national workforce development plan for the behavioral health workforce. Covers workforce issues relevant to persons with mental health conditions, substance abuse or substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental and addictive conditions. Includes a chapter focused on rural behavioral health workforce issues.
Date: 2007

Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Brings together the research, resources, products, and tools on mental health issues in women and explores the role gender plays in diagnosing, treating, and coping with mental illness.
Date: 05 / 2009

Addressing Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment: A Treatment Improvement Protocol TIP 50
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
A manual designed to assist substance abuse counselors working with adult clients who may be suicidal, and to help clinical supervisors and administrators support the work of substance abuse counselors. Includes references to rural.
Date: 2009

Adolescent Mental Health: Service Settings and Reasons for Receiving Care
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides data on mental health treatment or counseling for emotional or behavioral problems received by adolescents in 2008.
Date: 02 / 2009

Basics: Medicare's Mental Health Benefits
Author(s): Christopher Loftis
Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
Describes the mental health coverage policies for Medicare beneficiaries.
Date: 02 / 2007

Depression During and After Pregnancy: A Resource for Women, Their Families, and Friends
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
A booklet on depression during and after pregnancy that contains tips for identifying the condition and offers six steps to help treat it.
Date: 04 / 2007

Depression in Rural Populations: Prevalence, Effects on Life Quality, And Treatment-Seeking Behavior (Executive Summary)
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Identifies the prevalence of selected mental health diagnoses across rural populations to explore the depression among rural versus urban residents, with "rural" defined as residing in a non-metropolitan area.
Date: 05 / 2005

Depression in Rural Populations: Prevalence, Effects on Life Quality, and Treatment-Seeking Behavior (Fact Sheet)
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
To explore the prevalence of selected mental health diagnoses across rural populations, including rural minority residents, they studied information obtained by the 1999 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative survey of more than 30,000 U.S. adults.
Date: 2005

Differential Effectiveness of Depression Disease Management for Rural and Urban Primary Care Patients
Author(s): Scott J. Adams; Stanley Xu; Fran Dong; John Fortney; Kathryn Rost
Sponsoring organization: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Examines whether or not there is a differential impact of enhanced depression care on patient outcomes in rural versus urban primary care settings and whether differences are mediated by receiving evidence-based care (pharmacotherapy and specialty care counseling).
Date: 09 / 2005

Employment Patterns, Family Resources, and Perception: Examining Depressive Symptoms among Rural Low-Income Mothers
Author(s): Y. Sano, E. M. Dolan, L. Richards, J. Bauer, B. Braun
Examines how employment patterns, family coping resources, and perceptions of financial well-being influenced depressive symptoms of rural low-income mothers.
Journal citation: Journal of Rural Community Psychology Volume E11 Issue 1
Date: 2008

Family Guide to Systems of Care for Children With Mental Health Needs
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides information to help parents and caregivers seek help for children with mental health needs. Available in Spanish.
Date: 05 / 2005

Forgotten Population
Author(s): Zak Stambor
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association
Describes the use of telehealth and home-based health-care interventions to address a mental health crisis among elderly Americans in rural areas.
Journal citation: APA Monitor on Psychology Volume 37 Issue 10 Pages: 52-53
Date: 11 / 2006

Grading the States: A Report on America's Health Care System for Serious Mental Illness
Sponsoring organization: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Overview of the characteristics of a high quality state mental health system, with policy recommendations. Provides a comprehensive grading of state adult public mental healthcare systems for each state. Includes discussion of states' rural mental health needs.
Date: 03 / 2006

Hispanic Female Admissions in Substance Abuse Treatment: 2005
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Examines substance abuse treatment admissions among females of Hispanic origin.
Date: 04 / 2007

Information Gaps on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Population: A Background Paper
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Presents the relevant issues regarding the mental health information needs of deaf and hard of hearing populations, particularly in rural America.
Date: 06 / 2006

Integrated Care: A Model That Works
Author(s): David Howe
Sponsoring organization: Nebraska Office of Rural Health
Outlines a program that integrates behavioral and primary healthcare in rural areas where availability of behavioral healthcare services is inadequate.
Date: 05 / 2009

Medicaid and Mental Health Services
Author(s): Cynthia Shirk
Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum
Highlights the variety of services and supports needed by individuals with mental illness and Medicaid’s increasing role in mental health coverage.
Date: 10 / 2008

Mental Health and Rural America: 1994-2005
Author(s): Dennis Mohatt, Scott J. Adams, Mimi M. Bradley, Chad A. Morris
Sponsoring organization: Office of Rural Health Policy
Provides a summary of the current knowledge base surrounding mental health issues in America's rural and frontier areas and an overview of the environment of mental health in rural areas over three decades. Includes an annotated bibliography.
Date: 2006

Mental Health Care Issues in a Predominantly Rural and Frontier State: Results and Implications from a Comprehensive Survey
Author(s): Theodore W. McDonald, Stephanie M. Harris, Elizabeth A. LeMesurier
Reports on a comprehensive survey sent to all licensed and registered mental health providers in each rural and frontier county of an Intermountain West state asking questions about mental health care access, barriers to mental health care, and prevalent mental health care problems.
Date: 2005

Mental Health Encounters in Critical Access Hospital Emergency Rooms: A National Survey
Author(s): David Hartley, Erika Ziller, Stephenie Loux, John Gale, David Lambert, Anush Yousefian
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Survey indicates patients with mental health issues represent a significant proportion of the visits to Critical Access Hospital (CAH) emergency rooms. Investigates the types of cases that present with mental health problems, as well as the resources available to emergency room staff in CAHs for addressing such problems.
Date: 09 / 2005

Mental Health Research Findings
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Looks at a number of studies addressing the challenges of diagnosing and treating mental health in America including rural America.
Date: 09 / 2009

Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs, and Provider Availability for Rural Children (Executive Summary)
Author(s): Charity G. Moore, Michael Mink, Janice C. Probst, Mark Tompkins, Andy Johnson, Shereca Hughley
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Children in rural areas have fewer mental health resources available. To assess the need for services among rural children, they studied information from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population. Possible mental health problems were identified based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Date: 09 / 2005

Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs, and Provider Availability for Rural Children (Fact Sheet)
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Children in rural areas have fewer mental health resources available. To assess the need for services among rural children, they studied information from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population. Possible mental health problems were identified based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Date: 2005

Mental Health: Overlooked and Disregarded in Rural America
Author(s): Dr. Dianne Travers Gustafson, Kim Preston, Julia Hudson
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
Details mental health issues in rural America, including barriers to care such as geography and social stigma. Names mental health as one of the top 10 health reform issues for rural America.
Date: 05 / 2009

Mental Illness: Myths and Facts
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides facts to disprove several myths about mental illness.

Minds Matter: Making the Connection Between Mental Health and Community Well-Being
Sponsoring organization: Foundation for the Mid-South
Describes the mental health status of people living in both rural and urban Missouri, Louisiana, and Alabama. Summarizes how some of their health centers implement wholistic approaches to overcome barriers and improve the mental wellness of individuals, and thus, better community wellness. Information is based on data from 2006-2009.

Participant-Driven Effort to Assess and Address an Emerging Climate of Harassment in a Rural High School
Author(s): C. W. LeGrow, T. L. LeGrow
Describes a participant-driven effort to assess and address an emerging climate of harassment in a rural high school.
Journal citation: Journal of Rural Community Psychology Volume E11 Issue 1
Date: 2008

Preventing Hospitalization in Depressed Rural Patients
Author(s): Scott J. Adams, Stanley Xu, Fran Dong , Kathryn Rost
Sponsoring organization: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Investigates the substitution of higher cost hospitalization for lower cost outpatient specialty care for depression and the extent to which insurance barriers impact service substitution patterns of outpatient specialty care for depression in rural and urban areas.
Date: 09 / 2005

Preventing Hospitalizations in Depressed Rural Primary Care Patients
Author(s): Scott Adams, Stan Xu, Fran Dong, Kathryn Rost
Sponsoring organization: WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Re-examines whether depressed rural primary care patients are more likely than urban patients to be hospitalized; investigates whether differences in hospitalization rates can be explained by differences in the utilization of specialty outpatient care; and it looks at whether rural patients face more insurance barriers to outpatient care.
Date: 05 / 2007

Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families: A Preliminary Report
Sponsoring organization: American Psychological Association
Provides an overview of what is currently known about the impact of military deployments on service members and their families, identifies programs developed to meet their mental health needs, and offers recommendations for improving the psychological care offered to service members and their families.
Date: 01 / 2007

Ranking America's Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States
Author(s): Tami Mark, David Shern, Jill Bagalman, Zhun Cao
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
Compares depression levels and suicide rates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and uses this information to highlight solutions to improve states’ mental health status.
Date: 12 / 2007

Rationale and Design: Telepsychology Service Delivery for Depressed Elderly Veterans
Author(s): Leonard E. Egede, Christopher B. Frueh, Lisa K. Richardson, Ronald Acierno, Patrick D. Mauldin, Rebecca G. Knapp, Carl Lejuez
Sponsoring organization: BioMed Central
Describes a study and medical trial that will work to provide telepsychology services for depressed, elderly veterans living in rural America.
Date: 04 / 2009

Resource Guide for Implementing the JCAHO 2007 Patient Safety Goals on Suicide
Author(s): Douglas Jacobs
Sponsoring organization: Screening for Mental Health
A resource guide for implementing the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations 2007 National Patient Safety Goals on suicide.
Date: 2007

Rural Adults Face Parity Problems & Other Barriers to Appropriate Mental Health Care (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Nathaniel Anderson, Andrew Coburn
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Summarizes a study on the access of mental health services of rural Americans. Addresses the lack of insurance, cost sharing, in addition to the limited supply of mental health professionals and compares the differences found in rural and urban areas.
Date: 11 / 2008

Rural and Frontier Mental and Behavioral Health Care: Barriers, Effective Policy Strategies, Best Practices
Author(s): Donald Sawyer, John Gale, David Lambert
Sponsoring organization: National Association for Rural Mental Health
Reports on the mental and behavioral health needs of Americans living in rural and frontier areas with a focus on barriers, policy strategies, and best practices.
Date: 2006

Rural Children Don't Receive the Mental Health Care They Need (Policy Brief)
Author(s): David Lambert, Erika C. Ziller, Jennifer D. Lenardson
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Reports that rural children are 20% less likely to have a mental health visit than urban children, while controlling for other characteristics that affect access to care.
Date: 01 / 2009

Rural Inpatient Psychiatric Units Improve Access to Community-Based Mental Health Services, but Medicare Payment Policy a Barrier
Author(s): Stephenie Loux, David Hartley, David Lambert
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Investigates inpatient psychiatric units (IPUs) in rural hospitals as well as the community-based mental health services available to patients.
Date: 08 / 2007

Rural Mental Health in the WICHE West: Meeting Workforce Demands through Regional Partnership
Sponsoring organization: Office of Rural Health Policy
Discusses the mental health workforce needs facing the states that are part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and what can be done to effectively meeting the mental health care needs of the region.
Date: 03 / 2005

Rural Vets Return Home to Face New Battles
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Describes the need for access to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment among veterans and barriers faced among rural veterans in accessing those services.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 2007

Rural Women with Disabilities and Depression, Part One: Characteristics and Treatment Patterns
Author(s): Rosemary Hughes
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
An analysis of a study testing the effectiveness of a peer-led depression self-management intervention for rural women with physical disabilities.
Date: 07 / 2007

Safe and Effective Messaging for Suicide Prevention
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Provides evidence-based recommendations for creating safe and effective messages to raise public awareness that suicide is a serious and preventable public health problem.

SAMHSA Issues Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
A consensus statement outlining principles necessary to achieve mental health recovery developed by expert panelists representing mental health consumers, families, providers, advocates, researchers, managed care organizations, state and local public officials and others.
Date: 02 / 2006

Services for Hispanic Children and Families
Author(s): Beth A. Stroul
Sponsoring organization: National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
Summarize issues and challenges of providing mental health services for children and their families from diverse populations.
Date: 07 / 2006

Services in Native American Communities
Author(s): Beth Stroul
Sponsoring organization: National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
Summarize issues and challenges related to services in Native American communities and identifies effective service delivery strategies.
Date: 07 / 2006

Services in Rural and Frontier Communities
Author(s): Beth Stroul, Joyce Sebian
Sponsoring organization: National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
Summarizes issues and challenges related to services in rural and frontier communities, and identifies effective service delivery strategies for local systems of care.
Date: 07 / 2006

Smallest Rural Hospitals Treat Mental Health Emergencies
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Discusses the extent to which rural emergency rooms encounter and treat mental health patients.
Date: 2005

State Estimates of Depression: 2004 and 2005
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides state-level data on depression. Highlights the prevalence of major depressive episodes by youth and adults across states.
Date: 06 / 2007

State Mandates for Treatment for Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
Author(s): Gail K. Robinson, Jerome B. Connolly, Melanie Whitter, Candy A. Magaña
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Reports on state-mandated benefits, state laws regulating mental health and addiction treatment workers, and state-recognized mental health clinicians with authority to prescribe psychotropic medications.
Date: 2007

Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention: Evidence and Implications: A White Paper
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Explores the role of substance abuse in the interplay of factors that result in a greater risk for suicidal behaviors.
Date: 11 / 2008

Successful Employer Implementation of the Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
Author(s): Mark Attridg
Sponsoring organization: American Psychiatric Foundation
Designed to help employers with the implementation of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requiring employers that offer mental health/addiction coverage to do so at parity to their offering of medical/surgical health care benefits.
Date: 12 / 2009

Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempts, Major Depressive Episode, and Substance Use Among Adults
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Provides a brief overview about the relationships between suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and substance use among adults aged 18 or older who have had at least one major depressive episode (MDE) during the past year.
Date: 2006

Suicide Risk and Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth
Author(s): Effie Malley, Marc Posner, Lloyd Potter
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Highlights the higher risk of suicidal behavior among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and provides recommendations to reduce this risk.
Date: 2008

Telemedicine Mental Health Services Guide
Sponsoring organization: Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
Overview of the critical success factors to be considered when developing telemental health services.
Date: 2004

Transforming Mental Health Care in America: The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Identifies specific, actionable objectives for the initiation of a long-term strategy designed to move the Nation's public and private mental health service delivery systems toward the day when all adults with serious mental illnesses and all children with serious emotional disturbances will live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities.
Date: 08 / 2006

Use of Marijuana and Blunts among Adolescents: 2005
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Discussion on marijuana and blunt use among youths aged 12 to 17. Data are presented by demographic and academic characteristics based on the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
Date: 03 / 2007

Women’s Mental Health: What It Means to You
Addresses the stigma associated with mental health, with information on the signs and symptoms of mental illness, suggestions for support, and solutions for preventing and coping with mental illness.
Date: 05 / 2009

Workforce Development for Rural Mental Health
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
A summary of key findings from a NOSORH project in partnership with the Nevada Office of Rural Health and the National Center for Frontier Communities (NCFC) that focused on workforce development for rural mental health.
Date: 09 / 2009

Journals

Journal of Rural Community Psychology
A peer-reviewed, scholarly journal in electronic form. Devoted to sociological, psychological and mental health issues in rural and small community settings. Sponsoring organization: Marshall University

Organizations

AgriWellness, Inc.
Nonprofit/Foundation
Assists the seven-state Sowing the Seeds of Hope region that includes: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Provides technical assistance for the Sowing the Seeds of Hope projects.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
National organization
A national professional medical association dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by developmental, behavioral, and mental disorders.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
National organization
A professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy representing the professional interests of more than 23,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. Maintains a website search engine that allows users to find counselors by zip code.

American Psychiatric Association (APA)
National organization
An organization composed primarily of medical specialists who are qualified, or in the process of becoming qualified, as psychiatrists.

American Psychological Association (APA)
National organization
Scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States.

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU)
National organization
A nonprofit, transdisciplinary organization of clinicians, advocates, and health care organizations working to improve the health of America's underserved populations and to enhance the development and support of the medical and dental clinicians serving these populations.

Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice (CECP)
National organization
Supports and promotes a national preparedness to foster the development and the adjustment of children with or at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance.

CrisisLink
National organization
Gives support to those facing life crises, trauma and suicide, and provide information, education and links to community resources to empower people to help themselves.

Frontier Mental Health Services Resource Network
National organization
Provides an extensive collection of publications on the problems with access to mental health services in rural areas. Defines "frontier" and displays through maps counties designated as frontier areas. Offers technical assistance to rural agencies and advocates mental health/substance abuse topics as they impact upon or exist within rural areas.

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
National organization
A national foundation whose mission is to help youth in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood.

Kristin Brooks Hope Center (KBHC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention and healing: by providing a single point of entry to community-based crisis services; by bringing national attention and access to services for postpartum depression and other women's mood disorders; through education and advocacy; through formal research and evaluation of crisis line services; and, by championing the need for national funding for community-based suicide prevention crisis services.

Maine Rural Health Research Center (MRHC)
Academic/Research
One of nine Rural Health Research Centers funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. Works to inform health care policymaking and the delivery of rural health services, focusing on rural health care financing and system reform, rural long term care, and rural mental health.

Mental Health America (MHA)
National organization
A nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 320 affiliates nationwide, MHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans, with mental disorders, through advocacy, education, research and service.

National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations (NAMBHA)
National organization
Promotes the behavioral well-being of people of color and to eliminate disparities in behavioral health services and treatment through policy reform, culturally appropriate research and consumer involvement.

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA)

A national voice to address the unique mental health issues of Asian American Pacific Islanders.

National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH)
National organization
Works to develop and enhance rural mental health and substance abuse services, and to support mental health providers in rural areas.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
National organization
Represents and supports school psychology through leadership to enhance the mental health and educational competence of all children.

National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National organization
Advocates for the collective interests of State Mental Health Authorities and their directors at the national level. Analyzes trends in the delivery and financing of mental health services.

National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC)
National organization
Mission is to increase the capacity of health and mental health programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems. Provides a variety of tools, publications and other resources online. Information available in Spanish.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Center for Rural, Frontier & Tribal Health (NCTSN-CRFTH)
Academic/Research
Assists rural, frontier, and Tribal communities in the treatment of child traumatic stress through technology-augmented resources.

National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
Nonprofit/Foundation
An association representing 1,300 organizations providing treatment and rehabilitation to help people recover from mental illnesses and addiction disorders.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Federal government
A biomedical and behavioral research agency that conducts research on mental and behavioral disorders, supports research on these topics at universities and hospitals in the U.S., collects, analyzes, and disseminates information on the causes, occurrence, and treatment of mental illnesses, and communicates information to scientists, the public, the news media, and primary care and mental health professionals about mental illnesses. Some information available in Spanish.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Federal government
Provides education resources and materials on drugs of abuse, information & facts, curriculum guides, classroom tools, grants & funding, research, clinical trials, and meetings.

National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA)
National organization
Established to fill a need for a unified national voice for Latino populations in the behavioral health arena and to bring attention to the disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice based research and adequately trained personnel.

National Rural Behavioral Health Center (NRBHC)
National organization
Focuses on four components of rural behavioral health: Rural Disaster and Trauma, Violence Prevention, Occupational Health, and Health Service Delivery. Houses a team of behavioral health scientists, educators, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to improving the health care status of rural Americans.

Office of Rural Mental Health Research (ORMHR)
Academic/Research
Supports research activities and information dissemination on mental health issues in rural areas, including the delivery of mental health services in rural areas.

Project Relate
Nonprofit/Foundation
A public service campaign that strives to break down the stigma and stereotypes associated with mental illness and help the public relate to those who cope with these issues.

Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health (RTC)
Academic/Research
Dedicated to promoting effective community-based, culturally competent, family-centered services for families and their children who are, or may be affected by mental, emotional or behavioral disorders through collaborative research partnerships.

Screening for Mental Health
National organization
Provides programs that include both in-person and online programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention.

Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center (SRMHRC)
Academic/Research
Works to improve the quality of mental health care for rural, impoverished individuals in the South. Focuses on the delivery of formal and informal services to rural, impoverished, minority, mentally ill persons in the southeastern United States, and on the improvement of patient outcomes.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Federal government
Works to improve the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Academic/Research
Develops and evaluates strategies to promote the adoption of evidence-based mental health care to rural residents with depression and mental illness.

Terms & Acronyms

Bipolar Disorder A mood disorder characterized by the presence or history of manic episodes, usually, but not necessarily, alternating with depressive episodes.

Clinical Psychologist A professional with a doctoral degree in psychology who specializes in therapy.

Early Intervention A process used to recognize warning signs for mental health problems and to take early action against factors that put individuals at risk. Early intervention can help children get better in less time and can prevent problems from becoming worse.

Emergency and Crisis Services A group of services that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help during a mental health emergency. Examples include telephone crisis hotlines, suicide hotlines, crisis counseling, crisis residential treatment services, crisis outreach teams, and crisis respite care.

Evaluation The systematic investigation of the value and impact of an intervention or program.

Evidence-based Programs that have undergone scientific evaluation and have proven to be effective.

Group Therapy This form of therapy involves groups of usually four to twelve people who have similar problems and who meet regularly with a therapist. The therapist uses the emotional interactions of the group's members to help them get relief from distress and possibly modify their behavior.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) HIPAA is a privacy rule that creates national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information.

Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Geographic regions that have shortages of professionals working in primary medical care, dental or mental health care. HPSAs may be urban or rural areas, population groups or medical or other public facilities. Geographically, HPSAs can be cities or towns, counties or groups of counties. HPSA designations are reviewed and revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services based on criteria set forth in the Public Health Service Act.

Health Professional Shortage Area - Mental Health (HPSA - Mental Health) HPSA designation for a shortage of mental healthcare professionals that requires three criteria are met. First, the area must be a rational area for delivery of mental healthcare services. Second, the ratio of population to existing providers must meet at least one of several criteria detailed in the Health Professional Shortage Area Mental Health Designation Criteria listed on the Bureau of Health Professions website. Also, the area under consideration must have mental health professionals in continuous (nearby/adjoining) areas that are over utilized, excessively distant or inaccessible.

Individual Therapy Therapy tailored for a patient/client that is administered one-on-one.

Mental Health First Aid The help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.

Mood Disorders Mental disorders that are characterized by a prominent or persistent mood disturbance; disturbances can be in the direction of elevated expansive emotional states, or, if in the opposite direction, depressed emotional states. Included are Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, mood disorders due to a medical condition, and substance-induced mood disorders.

Non-Institutional Services A facility that provides mental health services, but not on a residential basis, other than an inpatient facility or nursing home.

Pastoral Counseling Counselors working within traditional faith communities to incorporate psychotherapy, and/or medication, with prayer and spirituality to effectively help some people with mental disorders. Some people prefer to seek help for mental health problems from their pastor, rabbi, or priest, rather than from therapists who are not affiliated with a religious community.

Psychiatrist A professional who completed both medical school and training in psychiatry and is a specialist in diagnosing and treating mental illness.

Psychoanalysis An analysis that focuses on past conflicts as the underpinnings to current emotional and behavioral problems. In this long-term and intensive therapy, an individual meets with a psychoanalyst three to five times a week, using "free association" to explore unconscious motivations and earlier, unproductive patterns of resolving issues.

Residential Services Services provided over a 24-hour period or any portion of the day which a patient resided, on an on-going basis, in a State facility or other facility and received treatment.

Residential Treatment Centers Facilities that provide treatment 24 hours a day and can usually serve more than 12 young people at a time. Children with serious emotional disturbances receive constant supervision and care. Treatment may include individual, group, and family therapy; behavior therapy; special education; recreation therapy; and medical services. Residential treatment is usually more long-term than inpatient hospitalization. Centers are also known as therapeutic group homes.

Schizophrenia A mental disorder characterized by "positive" and "negative" symptoms. Psychotic, or positive, symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking (apparent from a person's fragmented, disconnected and sometimes nonsensical speech). Negative symptoms include social withdrawal, extreme apathy, diminished motivation, and blunted emotional expression.

Screening Administration of an assessment tool to identify persons in need of more in-depth evaluation or treatment.

Serious Emotional Disturbances Diagnosable disorders in children and adolescents that severely disrupt their daily functioning in the home, school, or community. Serious emotional disturbances affect one in 10 young people. These disorders include depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, and eating disorders.

Stigma An object, idea, or label associated with disgrace.

Substance Abuse Misuse of medications, alcohol or other illegal substances.

Suicidal Behavior A spectrum of activities related to thoughts and behaviors that include suicidal thinking, suicide attempts, and completed suicide.

Suicidal Ideation Thoughts of engaging in suicide-related behavior.

Telemental Health Services All mental health services whose delivery is assisted by telecommunications technologies, including telepsychiatry.

Article Searches & Bibliographies

RAC Documents Search: Mental Health

An annotated list of all documents in the RAC database on the topic of rural mental health.

PubMed Database Search: Mental Health and Rural Health

PubMed’s list of journal article citations with abstracts. Some citations have links to the full-text of articles through PubMed Central (a digital archive of life sciences journal literature), through your library’s electronic and print holdings, or through the publisher (the latter may require a subscription or a pay-per-view charge). Check with your local library for details about your full text links or call your Regional Medical Library at 800.338.7657.

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Page last updated 2/2/2010
Topic last reviewed 5/12/2009

Events
Jun 2 - 5, 2010
National Association for Rural Mental Health 2010 Conference
National Association for Rural Mental Health
Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center
Denver, CO
Contact:
  info@narmh.org


About this Page
Credits

Jacque Gray, Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

Developed by:
Kathy Spencer
kathy@raconline.org



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