The Rural Monitor
Articles by Topic: Behavioral health workforce
November 12, 2025
Building on research showing that physicians trained in rural areas are more likely to stay rural, federal funding is supporting new rural residency program start-ups to help mitigate the prediction of a 60% rural physician shortage. Three healthcare leaders, located in sites from rural coast to rural coast, tell their organization's story of how this support is making a difference not just in healthcare access, but impacting their community in other ways.
Read More
September 17, 2025
A national recruitment organization, state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina, and a mental health center CEO in Michigan discuss the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas and share solutions.
Read More
November 15, 2023
Leveraging federal Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) funding to strengthen and expand their community's substance use services, a Berkshire County, Massachusetts coalition decreased stigma and built sustainable recovery services.
Read More
February 22, 2023
A community consortium in McKinley County brings together a range of local organizations and entities to take a holistic approach to recovery.
Read More
September 22, 2021
HRSA's Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program supports organizations developing new rural residency programs. Three grantees – St. Luke's University Health Network in Pennsylvania, Baptist Memorial Hospital in Mississippi, and Sutter Health in California – share what the RRPD grant has allowed them to accomplish so far.
Read More
June 9, 2021
After their county ranked number seven in the nation for opioid related deaths, the community of Fayette County, Ohio created Pathways to Recovery, with programs designed to educate providers and law enforcement, prevent overdoses, reduce harm, and encourage recovery through the use of Peer Support Specialists.
Read More
August 7, 2019
To address rising ER readmissions, an Arizona healthcare system and network partners adapted an unconventional EMS telehealth service to help rural patients. Coupled with care coordination, mobile telehealth units are saving the healthcare system money while better meeting patients' healthcare needs.
Read More
May 15, 2019
Difficult economic conditions have caused many farmers to experience high levels of stress and a sense of hopelessness about saving their business and way of life. The Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline and NY FarmNet are working to improve farmers' mental health and prevent suicides.
Read More
February 6, 2019
Peer support specialists are trained laypeople in recovery with a mental health condition or substance use disorder who act as mentors and coordinators for clients with similar behavioral health issues. PSSs in rural Arizona, Michigan, and North Dakota share the challenges and successes they see in their communities.
Read More
November 16, 2016
In Pennsylvania, more people are dying from drug overdose than from car accidents. The FORHP-funded Addiction Recovery Mobile Outreach Team (ARMOT) program works to educate medical staff on addiction and recovery and to support patients as they navigate the recovery process.
Read More
