Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health workforce
Early Evidence of Geographic Variation in Medicare Participation among Newly Eligible Mental Health Providers Following the 2024 Coverage Expansion
Explores the effect that Medicare's expansion of coverage to marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) has had on the rural mental health workforce. Highlights the rate of participation among rural MFTs and MHCs in Medicare from 2022 to 2024 and compares rates to metro counties.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70180
Date: 07/2026
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Explores the effect that Medicare's expansion of coverage to marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) has had on the rural mental health workforce. Highlights the rate of participation among rural MFTs and MHCs in Medicare from 2022 to 2024 and compares rates to metro counties.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70180
Date: 07/2026
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Barriers and Solutions to Effective Mental Health Services in Rural Schools: A Delphi Study
Examines strategies to provide effective school-based mental health services in rural areas. Utilizes feedback from 30 rural educators and discusses issues such as behavioral health workforce shortages, stigma, limited access to services, infrastructure problems, community partnership needs, classroom social-emotional learning, and more.
Author(s): Rawn Boulden, Anna Simmons
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 37-46
Date: 06/2026
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Examines strategies to provide effective school-based mental health services in rural areas. Utilizes feedback from 30 rural educators and discusses issues such as behavioral health workforce shortages, stigma, limited access to services, infrastructure problems, community partnership needs, classroom social-emotional learning, and more.
Author(s): Rawn Boulden, Anna Simmons
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 37-46
Date: 06/2026
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Rhode Island Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Rhode Island in 2025. Includes county-level data.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Rhode Island in 2025. Includes county-level data.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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A Tour of Youth Behavioral Health Services Landscape: Prevalence, Treatment, and the Workforce
Webinar discussing the prevalence of youth mental health conditions, substance use, and treatment in rural areas, the distribution of the youth behavioral health workforce, and the state of Medicaid funding for these services.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Janessa Graves, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Health Research Gateway, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Webinar discussing the prevalence of youth mental health conditions, substance use, and treatment in rural areas, the distribution of the youth behavioral health workforce, and the state of Medicaid funding for these services.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Janessa Graves, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Health Research Gateway, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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New Jersey Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in New Jersey in 2025. Includes county-level data.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in New Jersey in 2025. Includes county-level data.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Advancing Behavioral Health Integration in Community Health Centers: Policy Pathways to Whole Person Care
Explores how high-performing community health centers (CHCs) implement behavioral health integration as well as the policy and financing factors that influence these efforts. Summarizes interviews with leaders from 10 CHCs and six experts on Medicaid, payment reform, and community-based care. Discusses the state of behavioral health integration in CHCs nationwide and the impact of integration across patient populations. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen and sustain behavioral health integration within CHCs.
Author(s): Erin Prendergast, Amy Flowers, Peter Shin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth Fund, National Association of Community Health Centers
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Explores how high-performing community health centers (CHCs) implement behavioral health integration as well as the policy and financing factors that influence these efforts. Summarizes interviews with leaders from 10 CHCs and six experts on Medicaid, payment reform, and community-based care. Discusses the state of behavioral health integration in CHCs nationwide and the impact of integration across patient populations. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen and sustain behavioral health integration within CHCs.
Author(s): Erin Prendergast, Amy Flowers, Peter Shin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth Fund, National Association of Community Health Centers
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Virginia Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Virginia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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2025 Indiana Physician License Renewal Data Report: 2025-2027 Biennium
Provides information on the 2025 physician workforce in Indiana. Includes county-level data on total actively practicing physicians, primary care physicians, and psychiatrists as well as provider to population ratios.
Additional links: Physician Workforce Snapshot, Primary Care Physician Snapshot, Psychiatrist Snapshot
Author(s): Aaron Brehm, Sierra Vaughn, Brittany Daulton
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Provides information on the 2025 physician workforce in Indiana. Includes county-level data on total actively practicing physicians, primary care physicians, and psychiatrists as well as provider to population ratios.
Additional links: Physician Workforce Snapshot, Primary Care Physician Snapshot, Psychiatrist Snapshot
Author(s): Aaron Brehm, Sierra Vaughn, Brittany Daulton
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Texas Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Texas in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor Workforces in Rural America Under New Medicare Reimbursement Policy
Describes how Medicare reimbursement expanded to cover marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) in January 2024. Examines the change in Medicare-enrolled MFTs and MHCs between the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 and fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. Presents findings from semi-structured interviews with rural health system and mental health organization leaders regarding practice arrangements, the perceived impacts of MFT and MHC reimbursement, barriers to serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, and considerations for future policies.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes how Medicare reimbursement expanded to cover marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) in January 2024. Examines the change in Medicare-enrolled MFTs and MHCs between the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 and fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. Presents findings from semi-structured interviews with rural health system and mental health organization leaders regarding practice arrangements, the perceived impacts of MFT and MHC reimbursement, barriers to serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, and considerations for future policies.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Natalia V. Oster, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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