Rural Mental Health – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
SAMHSA: Meeting of the the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Advisory Council
Federal Register
Jan 9, 2020 - Announcement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of a National Advisory Council (NAC) public meeting on January 28, 2020 to be held in person and via webinar. Agenda items include remarks from the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, updates from SAMHSA Centers Directors, and discussion on clinical trends and emergency issues.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 20, 2019 - The only psychiatrist in rural International Falls, Minnesota retired, leaving no psychiatrists for more than 100 miles. Most rural communities are struggling with limited access to mental health services, describes the challenges with recruiting mental health providers in remote areas and how primary care physicians are taking on the work to fill in the gaps.
Source: MPR News
Dec 20, 2019 - Covers the White House Mental Health Summit in which county officials and mental health stakeholders gathered to discuss the prevalence of serious mental illnesses in America. Describes how jails are unequipped to handle the population of inmates that have a mental illness and identifies strategies taken to address the issues.
Source: National Association of Counties
Dec 17, 2019 - A sheriff's deputy encountered a man exhibiting psychosis and instead of arresting him, rushed him to the hospital where doctors discovered a large brain tumor. Blog article discusses the importance of law enforcement having access to mental health crisis training, includes resources for police-mental health collaborations.
Source: National Conference of State Legislators
Dec 16, 2019 - The Journal of Behavioral Medicine has issued a call for papers for a special issue on rural behavioral health. Submissions are due by June 1, 2020 and must be submitted on the journal's website.
Source: Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Dec 9, 2019 - Several states consider ways to boost mental health services for rural and agricultural populations and address the rising suicide rates among farmers. Discusses the different state approaches, such as increasing the number of mental health specialists in rural areas, expanding telehealth, and creating programs that offer counseling vouchers and workshops.
Source: Stateline, Pew Charitable Trusts
Dec 6, 2019 - Short documentary covers the lack of access to mental health services in rural counties. Addresses how rural Americans with a serious mental illness are more likely to encounter police and live without treatment.
Source: The Atlantic
Nov 25, 2019 - The Department of Agriculture reports an increase in calls to its Farm and Rural Helpline and more visits on the web version in the past few months. Describes how this year's harvest season has affected the mental health of farmers and their families and includes additional resources for support.
Source: Ag Week
Last Updated: 1/9/2020