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Rural Mental Health – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Oct 1, 2024 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) will hold a virtual public meeting of the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) on March 27, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern. The meeting will provide information on federal efforts related to serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED). The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the SAMHSA website before the meeting.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 23, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) making amending regulations implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) and adding new regulations implementing the nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) comparative analyses requirements under MHPAEA, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021). Specifically, these rules amend the existing NQTL standard to prevent plans and issuers from using NQTLs to place greater limits on access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical/surgical benefits. These regulations are effective November 22, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 14, 2024 - Highlights recent research by the Center for Rural Policy and Development in Minnesota regarding mental health for youth. Discusses access to mental healthcare and drivers of poor mental health for youth including social media.
Source: MPR News
Sep 12, 2024 - Announcement of grant funding to support veteran suicide prevention programming, with priority given to applicants based in rural, Tribal, and other under-resourced areas. Notes that the grant program is part of the VA's larger National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide. Outlines additional components of the strategy, including free crisis care, a crisis phone line, outreach campaigns, and more.
Source: VA News
Sep 10, 2024 - Highlights efforts by the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) to address high suicide rates in the remote Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Details the development of culturally-relevant programming which builds upon community strengths and traditions. Discusses funding barriers and efforts to implement the program model in other communities, including military settings.
Source: NPR
Aug 28, 2024 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will hold a virtual public meeting of the Tribal Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) on September 17, 2024. SAMHSA will also hold a joint virtual public meeting with the TTAC and Indian Health Service (IHS) National Tribal Advisory Committee on Behavioral Health (NTAC) on September 18, 2024. Meeting information Meeting information will be posted on the SAMHSA Council's website. Registration is required.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 26, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcing the reorganization of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). The NCIPC established the Behavioral Integration Branch. Among other things the Behavioral Integration Branch plans, directs, and supports epidemiological analysis, applied research, and demonstration projects to advance the integration of behavioral health (including suicide prevention) strategies with healthcare delivery and community behavioral health services; provides technical assistance to local, state, territorial, and tribal agencies to advance the integration of surveillance and suicide prevention strategies with healthcare delivery and community behavioral health services; develops guidance to reduce or mitigate risk factors and increase protective factors as appropriate; and disseminates scientific findings, evidence-based prevention strategies, and suicide prevention guidelines. This reorganization is effective August 21, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 23, 2024 - Describes the establishment of the National Rural Adolescent and Child Health (NRACH) ECHO Training Center in 2022. Notes that, due to a shortage of rural psychologists, rural children often seek care from primary care doctors for mental health issues. Highlights services offered by the NRACH ECHO Training Center, including virtual medical education for rural primary care doctors on a variety of mental health issues and treatment approaches.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Aug 22, 2024 - Reports on a free telepsychology clinic for rural Iowans. Discusses the lack of mental health services due to workforce shortages in the state, rural specific stressors, and stigma. Highlights the value of training the behavioral health workforce with and in rural communities.
Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch
Aug 19, 2024 - Highlights rural mental healthcare opportunities for access and barriers to care through telehealth. Discusses workforce shortages, stigma, telehealth infrastructure, reimbursement, and more.
Source: Psychology Today
Last Updated: 10/1/2024