Rural Mental Health – Models and Innovations
These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas and provide lessons others have learned. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.
Other Project Examples
Rhode Island Mental Health First Aid Training
Added June 2026
- Need: To provide rural first responders with training in Mental Health First Aid.
- Intervention: A statewide training program created by the Rhode Island State Office of Rural Health and the state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) office.
- Results: Every rural fire department in Rhode Island received training.
The Minnesota Integrative Behavioral Health Program
Updated/reviewed May 2026
- Need: Out of 79 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) surveyed in Minnesota in 2015, behavioral health was the most frequently cited service requested.
- Intervention: In response, Rural Health Innovations launched the Minnesota Integrative Behavioral Health Program. This initiative engaged representatives across all sectors in health integration between hospital, primary care, and community services.
- Results: Strategy sessions resulted in the creation of resource directories to improve care coordination, evaluation measurements to document results, and an overall better understanding of integrative care challenges.
Recovery Café Camden
Added March 2026
- Need: To connect people with substance use, trauma, and other challenges to community and services in rural New York.
- Intervention: The Recovery Café Camden offers shared meals, small-group discussions, hobby building, and connection to resources.
- Results: Between January 13, 2025, and November 18, 2025, the Café recorded 370 participant engagements across Recovery Circles and 128 across School of Recovery classes.
Coast to Forest: Mental Health Promotion in Rural Oregon and Beyond
Updated/reviewed January 2026
- Need: To promote mental health and prevent substance use disorders in rural Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
- Intervention: Coast to Forest strengthened local capacity through training, technical assistance, education, and community partnerships.
- Results: Since the project's launch in 2020, it trained over 800 individuals across the Pacific Northwest in Mental Health First Aid, developed 100 county-level resource guides, organized a series of Community Conversations in five rural Oregon counties, and more.
Riverfront Talks: Substance Matters Podcast
Updated/reviewed December 2025
- Need: To reduce stigma around mental illness and substance use in North Carolina.
- Intervention: The Beaufort County Behavioral Health Task Force created the Riverfront Talks: Substance Matters podcast to interview people with lived experience.
- Results: As of December 2025, the podcast has 18 episodes.
Men's Conversation Group
Updated/reviewed November 2025
- Need: Suicide rates among men age 65 and older have been rising in North Carolina. Challenges include losing friends, illnesses, and the loss of independence – all of which can lead to isolation and depression.
- Intervention: Chatham County Aging Services of North Carolina started the Men's Conversation Group to connect retired men in need of male friends and mutual support.
- Results: Men in similar stages of life and varying backgrounds are forming friendships, engaging in activities, and taking care of their mental health.
Together With Veterans Rural Suicide Prevention Program
Updated/reviewed July 2025
- Need: Suicide among veterans has been steadily increasing, and rural veterans have an increased risk of death by suicide compared to urban veterans.
- Intervention: A program called Together with Veterans was formed to help rural communities address and prevent suicides among veterans. The initiative is veteran-led, collaborative, evidence-based, and community-centered.
- Results: Data collection is ongoing.
The Sapling Center
Updated/reviewed June 2025
- Need: To create a safe space for youth and young adults, ages 14 to 25, in rural eastern Kentucky.
- Intervention: The Sapling Center provides independent living skills education and offers a wide array of services as well as fun activities in a supportive environment.
- Results: The 5 Sapling Center locations serve 50-75 teens and young adults every day.
Together We Can Be Bully Free
Updated/reviewed June 2025
- Need: Union Parish, a rural county in Louisiana, continues to experience elevated rates of youth suicide, bullying, mental health challenges, and risk behaviors, as confirmed by a 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).
- Intervention: Union General Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, started a program to educate students grade 4 through 12 on the negative effects of bullying, to foster positive social behavior, and to provide mental health support through school-based interventions.
- Results: Over 3,500 students have learned how to recognize, report, and respond to bullying. The program's integration with broader community health priorities has strengthened mental health, reduced suicide attempts, and improved awareness of youth risk behaviors.
Regional Behavioral Health Network
Updated/reviewed April 2025
- Need: Multiple organizations in rural east central Illinois needed a more efficient, centralized system for referring patients experiencing a behavioral health crisis to appropriate treatment services.
- Intervention: The Regional Behavioral Health Network was established with a 24-hour toll-free crisis line, providing immediate access to trained crisis clinicians.
- Results: Improved access to high quality behavioral healthcare for patients in rural east central Illinois.
Last Reviewed: 3/12/2026