Rural Mental Health Matters: Challenges, Opportunities & Resources for Communities

The USDA Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is excited to co-host the USDA Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop series scheduled weekly beginning Tuesdays, May 9 – Tuesday, June 6 from 2-3:30pm Eastern. The workshop series convenes farmers and ranchers, technical assistance providers, local leaders, and Federal, state, and university partners to dialogue and discuss mental health challenges, and stressors, and the resources and services to address them.

This session, co-hosted by the National Association of Behavioral Health and Development Disability Directors, focuses on the resources and tools that are available in rural places, where over 60% of Americans live in mental health provider shortage areas. Speakers will examine current programs focused on giving rural and frontier communities the tools they need to thrive through creative problem solving. With perspectives rooted in rural services, behavioral health, and technology, the presentations and follow-on conversation will explore the importance of increasing the efficiency of providers in rural areas and other solutions, to challenges that rural communities face to ensure community wellbeing and economic prosperity.