| Rural
Mental Health Resources
to Promote Awareness and Improve Care
In
an effort to assist members in promoting awareness and improving
mental health care in their communities, the California State
Rural Health Association (CSRHA) has put together a broad list
of mental health resources. This Member Update includes a model
to recruit culturally competent mental health professionals,
fact sheets,
maps, guides,
articles & policy
briefs, and web
site links with valuable rural mental health data.
Recruitment Model for Culturally Competent Mental Health
Professionals
Recently during the California Institute for Mental Health Policy
conference held in Southern California, Dr. Jesus Oliva, Director
of the Regional Health Occupations Resource Center presented a
model that can help recruit culturally competent mental health
professionals and also create a career ladder within an organization
that would assist mental health workers pursue and obtain higher
degrees in the mental health area.
The concept
of the model is to replicate the Nurse Licensure Pathway created
by the Regional Health Occupations Resource Center "Welcome
Back" model. The recruitment model for culturally competent
mental health professionals must:
- Identify
the number of internationally trained mental health professionals
currently residing in California (250 + already in Welcome Back
Centers database);
- Provide
case management to get transcripts validated;
- Provide
orientation in their licensure process (Psychologists, Social
workers);
- Provide
course specific courses to help pass respective boards (English
for Health, Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System and
board preparation courses);
- Create
a Paraprofessional category where professionals can start working
while they pass their respective boards or obtain additional
courses to be eligible to take their licensing exams;
- Create
a career ladder program.
According
to Dr. Oliva, "The short term outcome would be to gain bilingual,
bicultural health professionals to practice in a field they have
committed and had experience in their country. This would help
bring to the Safety Net a group of professionals that would serve
the community in a language that they speak and would also have
an understanding of their culture."
If you would
like to see information of the current Nurse Licensure Pathway,
please visit
http://rhorc.mtsac.edu.
For more information about this mental health workforce recruitment
model, contact Dr. Jesus Oliva, Director Regional Health Occupations
Resource Center at (909) 594-5611 x 6101
or drjoliva@mtsac.edu.
FACT
SHEETS
Key
Facts in Rural Health: Depression in Rural Populations: Prevalence,
Effects on Life Quality, And Treatment-Seeking Behavior
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Fall 2005
Key
Facts in Rural Health: Violence and Rural Teens: Teen Violence,
Drug Use, and School-Based Prevention Services in Rural America
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Spring 2005
Rural
Families Speak Project Fact Sheet: Health: An Essential Resource
for Rural, Low-Income Mothers’ Economic Self-Sufficiency
Simmons, Leigh Ann
March 2006
Children’s Mental Health Facts: Helping Children and Youth
With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Systems of Care
US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental
Health Services
2005
Key
Facts in Rural Health: Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs,
and Provider Availability for Rural Children
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Fall 2005
MAPS
Health
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health
Printable
map that shows the location of mental health HPSAs nationwide.
Compiled by Rural Assistance Center
2004
Health
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health - Clinician
Priority Scores
Printable map that shows the clinician priority scores of mental
health HPSAs nationwide.
Compiled
by Rural Assistance Center
2006
Health
Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) - Mental Health - Designated
Type
Printable map that shows the designated type of
mental health HPSAs nationwide.
Compiled by Rural Assistance Center
2006
 |
GUIDES
Assessment
and Planning Tool Kit for Suicide Prevention in First Nations
Communities
Prepared
for the First Nations Centre, National Aboriginal Health Organization
2005
This Assessment and Planning Tool Kit for Suicide Prevention in
First Nations communities has been developed to help individuals
and groups interested in addressing the issue of suicide in their
communities. It is a framework to guide First Nations in assessing
and planning a suicide prevention plan. Communities are encouraged
to adapt the tool to meet their own needs. The tool kit also provides
information and research on suicide prevention to increase awareness
and encourage discussion.
To view guide, visit: http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/english/documents/NAHO_Suicide_Eng.pdf.
Work
as a Priority: A Resource for Employing People Who Have Serious
Mental Illnesses and Who Are Homeless
US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance
Abuse and Mental health Services Administration, Center for Substance
Abuse Prevention
2003
This guidebook
is intended to provide both a conceptual and practical foundation
to increase employment among people who are homeless and who also
have serious mental illnesses. The guidebook includes a general
review of the relevant literature, a summary of promising employment
programs, and a discussion of policies and laws that address the
provision of employment support services to people who are homeless
and have a serious mental illness. Also includes a section focused
on related rural issues.
To
view guide, visit: http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/media/ken/pdf/SMA03-3834/workpriority.PDF.
ARTICLES
& POLICY BRIEFS
Advancing
Suicide Prevention Volume 1 Issue 2: Suicide in Rural Areas
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
July/August 2005
Research
& Policy Brief: Smallest Rural Hospitals Treat Mental Health
Emergencies
Muskie School of Public Service, Maine Rural Health Research
Center
2005
Rural
Families Speak Project Policy Brief: Health: An Essential Resource
for Rural, Low
Income Mothers’ Economic Self-Sufficiency
Simmons,
Leigh Ann
March 2006
Rural
Monitor: The Stigma of Mental Illness (Includes fact
sheet and resource page)
Thomas D. Rowley
Spring 2005
National
Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery
US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental
Health Services
February 2006
The Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a consensus
statement outlining ten principles necessary to achieve mental
health recovery. The consensus statement was developed through
deliberations by over 110 expert panelists representing mental
health consumers, families, providers, advocates, researchers,
managed care organizations, state and local public officials and
others.
To view full
statement, visit: http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/media/ken/pdf/SMA05-4129/trifold.pdf
Rural
Monitor: Meth Abuse a Smoldering Crisis
(Includes fact sheet and resource page)
Hope Hanson
Summer 2005
Are
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses a Solution to Rural Mental
Health Workforce Shortages? Working Paper #31
Hartley, David; Valerie Hart; Nancy Hanrahan;
Stephenie Loux
April 2004
Advanced practice nurses specializing in mental health are typically
referred to as advanced practice psychiatric nurses (APPNs). Clinical
outcomes for these professionals have been found to be of high
quality, as indicated by skill in diagnosis and treatment of mental
illness. With an established scope of practice, including prescribing
privileges, and with increasing numbers of APPNs seeking independent
practice settings, it would appear that these mental health professionals
may be an ideal mental health generalist for rural areas. This
paper presents data on the geographic distribution of APPNs, and
investigates the content of their training curriculum to determine
what role this profession might play in addressing chronic shortages
of mental health professionals in rural areas.
To view full report, visit: http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/Publications/rural/wp31.pdf.
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WEB
SITE LINKS:
California Department of Mental
Health
http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/
Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved
Communities, Mental Health
http://www.meharry.org/Fl/Mental_Health/Index.html
National
Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/nimhhome/index.cfm
National Mental Health Association
http://www.nmha.org/
Rural Assistance Center
http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/mental_health/
SAMHSA's National Mental Health
Information Center: Center for Mental Health Services
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
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