Topics: Behavioral health workforce

For more information and resources, see the Mental Health and Substance Use and Misuse topic guides.

National Health Service Corps 50th Anniversary: Q&A with Dr. Luis Padilla

Dr. Luis Padilla


Dr. Luis Padilla, Associate Administrator for HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce and Director of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), discusses the NHSC’s 50th anniversary and the organization’s many initiatives to bring healthcare professionals to underserved communities.

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June 29, 2022

Creating New Rural Residency Programs: Three Grantees Share Their Stories

Internal medicine residents at Baptist Memorial Hospital.


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.

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September 22, 2021

Preventing Farmer Suicides through Helplines and Farm Visits

Meg Moynihan, Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Senior Advisor of Strategy & Innovation, on her organic dairy farm. Photograph by Cory Ryan, courtesy of UMN School of Public Health


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.

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May 15, 2019

Peer Support Specialists Care for and Connect Rural Behavioral Health Clients

Gloriana Hunter poses with her dog Pepe Ricardo


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.

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February 6, 2019

Pennsylvania Mobile Team Addresses Substance Use Disorders


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.

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November 16, 2016