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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health

Veteran Suicide Prevention: Innovative Research and Expanded Public Health Efforts
Presents a full committee hearing discussing expanded public health efforts to address veteran suicide by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Features testimonies by representatives of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, the National Indian Health Board, and the Rand Corporation.
Additional links: Bill Smith Testimony, Jennifer Silva Testimony, Kaitlynne Hetrick Testimony, Kameron Matthews Testimony, Rajeev Ramchand Testimony, Tammy Barlet Testimony
Date: 09/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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New Hampshire Baseline Needs Assessment: Practitioner Comfort Treating Substance Use Disorder: COVID-19 Impact on Substance Use and Treatment
Details a needs assessment survey of healthcare providers and stakeholders on the impacts of COVID-19 on substance use and treatment in rural New Hampshire from October 2020 to March 2021.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Evaluation and Oversight of Telehealth for Behavioral Health in Medicaid
Explores how 37 states evaluated and conducted oversight of telehealth for behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees in January and February 2020. Discusses states' experiences with telehealth and the impacts of telehealth on access to care, as well as concerns regarding the impact of these services on cost and quality of care. Provides recommendations for states the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet the behavioral health needs of Medicaid enrollees and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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States Reported Multiple Challenges with Using Telehealth to Provide Behavioral Health Services to Medicaid Enrollees
Summarizes results of a January-February 2020 survey of State Medicaid Directors in 37 states that provide behavioral health services via telehealth through managed care organizations. Describes challenges with using telehealth to serve Medicaid enrollees, including provider and enrollee training, internet connectivity, privacy, and technology costs. Offers recommendations for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states address these challenges.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Mental Health System Development in Rural and Remote Areas during COVID-19
Report highlights the barriers faced by rural, remote, and tribal communities to accessing mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Details rates of mental health treatment over the past year and compares rural and urban communities. Discusses factors affecting access in rural areas such as workforce shortages, lack of telehealth services, and lack of culturally competent care for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, among others.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
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Ready to Respond: Mental Health Beyond Crisis and COVID-19
Report highlights strategies for addressing the need for mental health services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Details seven recommendations for state mental health programs post-pandemic and discusses workforce challenges and how telehealth can be used to expand access to care to rural and underserved areas.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
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Urban-Rural Differences in Suicide Rates and Leading Means in Kansas
Examines suicide rates and the means of suicide in Kansas between 2000-2019. Compares data by frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, and urban counties.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Use of Electronic Health Records to Manage Tobacco Screening and Treatment in Rural Primary Care
Study examining the benefits of using electronic health records (EHR) in addressing tobacco dependence by primary care providers, comparing rural and urban data from the 2012-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Discusses the utility of EHR and barriers to EHR adoption in rural practices, and offers data tables covering patient characteristics and statistics related to primary care visits and smoking cessation.
Author(s): Jean A. Talbot, Erika C. Ziller, Carly M. Milkowski
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
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Telephone Veteran Peer Coaching for Mental Health Treatment Engagement among Rural Veterans: The Importance of Secondary Outcomes and Qualitative Data in a Randomized Controlled Trial
Presents a study of telephone motivational coaching for veterans receiving primary care in rural VA clinics in Northern California and Louisiana. Compares 272 veterans who screened positive for mental health problems, examining impacts of veteran peer motivational coaching on depression, quality of life, posttraumatic stress disorder, and self-care. Discusses barriers to mental healthcare for rural veterans.
Author(s): Karen H. Seal, Jeffrey M. Pyne, Jennifer K. Manuel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(4), 788-800
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
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Primary Care Mental Health Integration to Improve Early Treatment Engagement for Veterans Who Screen Positive for Depression
Analyzes the impact of mental health integration into primary care clinics (PC-MHI) among veterans diagnosed with depression. Examines 15,155 patients that screened positively for depression, with data broken down by PC-MHI reach, timeliness of depression treatment, patient sociodemographic variables and health status, and clinic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses patient location and its relationship to veteran mental health disparities.
Author(s): Lucinda B. Leung, Karen Chu, Danielle E. Rose, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
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