Challenge
Many people who suffer from mental health disorders do not seek or have access to professional help, and it can be all the more challenging for the 20 percent of Americans who live in rural areas. Rural populations are often underserved and possess health and behavioral health disparities while facing limited access to services.
Solution
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an early intervention training program that teaches the public how to assist someone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. MHFA teaches the skills needed to identify, understand, and respond to individuals who might be experiencing signs of a mental illness or substance use disorder. Aid is administered to help individuals connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The training is especially useful in rural communities where access to mental health services may be limited. Rural MHFA is a way to build community level capacity to identify mental health and substance abuse concerns early and for rural residents to increase their confidence to intervene and refer people to the resources that do exist. MHFA is also a way to increase knowledge about mental health and substance abuse and decrease the negative perceptions often associated with these disorders.
Atlas Research was awarded a contract by the Office of Special Health Affairs in the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct national outreach to rural communities, organizations, and related stakeholders to increase awareness of MHFA, offer rural-specific training opportunities, and encourage community dialogue and collaboration. The project team works closely with the National Council for Behavior Health, which manages the national MHFA training program. The National Council created a new MHFA training program and resources specifically for rural populations and added rural designations for specially-trained instructors.
Result
This targeted outreach effort to rural communities addresses their unique characteristics and enhances community capacity around behavioral health issues. To date, the project team has conducted outreach to more than 3,000 individuals and organizations and to more than 3,500 media outlets. The project team has developed a community planning guide, created a case study-based evaluation plan, presented at six national conferences, and completed more than 50 training referrals.
MHFA can be learned and administered by nearly anyone, and when rural community members are trained, they create stronger, more prepared networks of support. Through national outreach and technical assistance, Atlas is enhancing rural community collaboration and capacity to address behavioral health issues.