Dissemination Methods for Rural Mental Health Programs

To reach interested audiences for rural mental health programs, a wide range of dissemination strategies should be used. Programs should work with intended audiences to understand their priorities and preferences for dissemination.

Some methods for disseminating rural mental health programs include:

• Regional or national conferences focused on mental health, such as:
  • National Association for Rural Mental Health Annual Conference
  • National Council for Behavioral Health NATCON Conference
  • Mental Health America Conference
  • Lowcountry Mental Health Conference
• Podcasts and webinars, for example:
  • Cultivating Resiliency for Women in Agriculture Project
  • The Peregrine Rural Mental Health Podcast

There are numerous methods that can make sharing information about rural mental health programs more efficient, including:

• Disseminating program information during national observances, such as:
  • Mental Wellness Month
  • Mental Health Awareness Month
  • National Mental Illness Awareness Week
• Sharing program information on websites, social media, and other platforms that can reach broader audiences, for example, our Rural Health Models and Innovations
• Developing social and digital public media campaigns for the program

For more information about public awareness campaigns, see Module 2.

To learn more about general dissemination methods for rural programs, see Methods of Dissemination in our Rural Community Health Toolkit.