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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Project Examples: Mental health

Other Project Examples

Together We Can Be Bully Free

Updated/reviewed February 2023

  • Need: Union Parish, a rural county in Louisiana, was experiencing higher than average suicide rates among youth.
  • Intervention: Union General Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, started a program to educate students grade 4 through 12 on the negative effects of bullying and how to model positive social behavior.
  • Results: The 3,000+ students trained have learned how to recognize, report, and react to bullying.

Together With Veterans Rural Suicide Prevention Program

Updated/reviewed February 2023

  • Need: Suicide among veterans has been steadily increasing, and rural veterans have an increased risk of death by suicide compared to urban veterans.
  • Intervention: A program called Together With Veterans was formed to help rural communities address and prevent suicides among veterans. The initiative is veteran-led, collaborative, evidence-based, and community-centered.
  • Results: Data collection is ongoing.

Indiana ASPIN Veteran's Services

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed October 2022

  • Need: To address the lack of mental healthcare options for rural veterans.
  • Intervention: A telebehavioral health hub network was created to connect community mental health centers to the VA Medical Center.
  • Results: More than 3,000 telehealth appointments have been made, saving hundreds of veterans time and money.

ASPIN's Certified Recovery Specialist Program

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy funded by the Health Resources Services Administration

Updated/reviewed September 2022

  • Need: Improved approach in addressing the behavioral health and primary care disparities of Indiana's underserved rural counties.
  • Intervention: A network was established that trained community health workers (CHWs) to be certified health insurance enrollment navigators and provide mental health services.
  • Results: This year, ASPIN trained 230 CHWs, cross-trained 70 behavioral health case managers as CHWs, and 35 individuals in the Indiana Navigator Pre-certification Education.

Geezers, Gulpers, and Gardeners

Updated/reviewed September 2022

  • Need: Suicide rates among white males age 65 and older have been rising in North Carolina. Challenges include losing friends, illnesses, and the loss of independence – all of which can lead to isolation and depression.
  • Intervention: The Chatham County Council on Aging of North Carolina started Geezers, Gulpers, and Gardeners (3G Group) to connect retired men in need of male friends and mutual support.
  • Results: Men in similar stages of life and varying backgrounds are forming friendships, engaging in activities, and taking care of their mental health.

Butte Child Evaluation Center

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed August 2022

  • Need: Before 2000, Butte and southwest Montana had around 1,300 cases of child abuse a year, with only a 20% conviction rate for perpetrators of sexual abuse.
  • Intervention: Multiple agencies in the community came together to address the issue of child abuse by forming the Butte Child Evaluation Center (CEC), a Children's Advocacy Center.
  • Results: During a 3-year grant cycle, over 200 interviews and exams were performed on victims of sexual abuse and the Butte CEC became the first program in Montana to be accredited by the National Children's Alliance.

New Horizons Geriatric Counseling Program

Updated/reviewed June 2022

  • Need: Improved behavioral health care offerings for a community after losing 5 senior-aged men to suicide.
  • Intervention: A Critical Access Hospital in Yoakum, Texas, created a community-based program focusing on inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care for area residents age 50 and older.
  • Results: A financially-sustainable behavioral health care delivery model demonstrating positive impacts on physical health conditions, healthcare service utilization, and high patient satisfaction rates.

Collaborative Approaches to Well-Being in Rural Communities

Updated/reviewed November 2021

  • Need: To improve mental health and well-being in rural Texas.
  • Intervention: The Hogg Foundation has awarded $7.75 million in grants to support five rural Texas communities in developing collaborative approaches to mental health that best fit each community's needs.
  • Results: Five community collaboratives have successfully completed their planning process and developed implementation plans.

Pathways Vermont Housing First Program

Updated/reviewed April 2021

  • Need: Ending a local Vermont population's homelessness experience.
  • Intervention: In 2010, Pathways Vermont implemented a first-of-its-kind, rural-focused Housing First program in order to provide housing and support services to those with mental health and substance use conditions experiencing homelessness.
  • Results: Since its initial start-up, Pathways Vermont has assisted over 560 Vermonters — about 70% from rural areas — experiencing homelessness using the Housing First model. The organization has collaborated with the state mental health department, corrections department, local healthcare systems and providers, and other organizations to end homelessness. In addition, programmatic work has expanded to reach other local populations, including veterans and at-risk families.

Medical Home Plus

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed February 2020

  • Need: To help reduce diabetes, depression, and stroke risk in rural residents.
  • Intervention: A collaborative care model was implemented in the Idaho counties of Clearwater, Idaho, and Lewis.
  • Results: Increased number of patients with controlled blood sugar, controlled blood pressure, and higher depression screening rates.