Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health
State of North Carolina's Mental Health and Substance Use Services Workforce: Need, Supply, and Distribution Landscape Assessment
Provides an overview on need, supply, and distribution of behavioral health professionals in North Carolina. Includes county-level maps and data on workforce and behavioral health issues.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Jennifer Headley, Monica P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Provides an overview on need, supply, and distribution of behavioral health professionals in North Carolina. Includes county-level maps and data on workforce and behavioral health issues.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Jennifer Headley, Monica P. Jimenez, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Exploring Maternal Mental Health Conditions and Urban-Rural Disparities in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in South Carolina: A Fairlie Decomposition Approach
Examines the impact of maternal mental health on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in rural and urban areas of South Carolina. Utilizes data from 270,000 mothers with HDP to analyze maternal mental health conditions according to rural versus urban location, demographic variables, quality of prenatal care, mother's health condition, and more.
Author(s): Manan Roy, Maggie Sugg, Jennifer Runkle
Citation: Maternal and Child Health Journal, 30, 452-463
Date: 03/2026
view details
Examines the impact of maternal mental health on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in rural and urban areas of South Carolina. Utilizes data from 270,000 mothers with HDP to analyze maternal mental health conditions according to rural versus urban location, demographic variables, quality of prenatal care, mother's health condition, and more.
Author(s): Manan Roy, Maggie Sugg, Jennifer Runkle
Citation: Maternal and Child Health Journal, 30, 452-463
Date: 03/2026
view details
Changes in the Availability of Inpatient Psychiatric Beds Across Rural and Urban Areas, 2012-2021
Policy brief describing numbers of Critical Access Hospitals and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals providing inpatient psychiatric care, and comparing these to urban PPS hospitals. Also examines psychiatric unit closure rates and the effect on access to behavioral health services in rural areas.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Jamar Croom, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Policy brief describing numbers of Critical Access Hospitals and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals providing inpatient psychiatric care, and comparing these to urban PPS hospitals. Also examines psychiatric unit closure rates and the effect on access to behavioral health services in rural areas.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Jamar Croom, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Behavioral Health Workforce Survey Data Report: Behavior Analyst, Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Social Worker, and Psychologist
Discusses mental health provider demographic changes, practice characteristic changes, and projections for the future supply of Utah's mental health workforce. Offers policy recommendations for strengthening the rural mental healthcare workforce, and features statistics including county-by-county distribution of mental health professionals, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and frontier locations.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Discusses mental health provider demographic changes, practice characteristic changes, and projections for the future supply of Utah's mental health workforce. Offers policy recommendations for strengthening the rural mental healthcare workforce, and features statistics including county-by-county distribution of mental health professionals, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and frontier locations.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Adult Tobacco Use in Vermont: 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
Data brief summarizing tobacco measures from the 2024 Vermont Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a phone survey of adult Vermonters. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and a county-level map showing smoking rates.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
view details
Data brief summarizing tobacco measures from the 2024 Vermont Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a phone survey of adult Vermonters. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and a county-level map showing smoking rates.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
view details
REH: Peer Support in Rural Emergency Departments
Describes how peer support services can address address substance use and mental health crises in rural emergency departments. Profiles the Peer Recovery Expansion Project (PREP), a Pennsylvania-based initiative that embeds Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) directly into emergency departments.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Describes how peer support services can address address substance use and mental health crises in rural emergency departments. Profiles the Peer Recovery Expansion Project (PREP), a Pennsylvania-based initiative that embeds Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) directly into emergency departments.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Expanding Behavioral Health Teams in Care Deserts With Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists
Report explores the role community health workers can play in expanding behavioral health access to rural areas and care deserts. Highlights how community health workers can support behavioral health access through outreach activities, serving as community liaisons, screening for behavioral health concerns, and providing community education, among other measures.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Report explores the role community health workers can play in expanding behavioral health access to rural areas and care deserts. Highlights how community health workers can support behavioral health access through outreach activities, serving as community liaisons, screening for behavioral health concerns, and providing community education, among other measures.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Looking Ahead: FY 2026 Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Preview Webinar
Webinar recording featuring speakers from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) sharing an overview of their 2026 priorities. It covers planned competitive community-based funding opportunities, resources, and opportunities to improve rural health related to healthcare workforce, behavioral health, healthcare network development, and more.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
view details
Webinar recording featuring speakers from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) sharing an overview of their 2026 priorities. It covers planned competitive community-based funding opportunities, resources, and opportunities to improve rural health related to healthcare workforce, behavioral health, healthcare network development, and more.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
view details
2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review Final Recommendations Report
Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
view details
Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
view details
Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Substance Use Treatment
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
view details
Webinar recording discusses the ways rural communities can overcome barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and uptake. Explores substance use data for rural communities and outlines common barriers, such as travel times and distance to care, provider shortages, and concerns about stigma and patient confidentiality. Highlights strategies for rural communities to leverage their community bonds and faith communities to address SUD, and details models for expanding treatment and patient support in rural areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network
view details