Rural Mental Health – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Mental Health.
Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force: Redesigning the Health Care Delivery System to Better Meet the Needs of Youth
Presents policy recommendations from 50 experts and thought leaders regarding how to maximize the potential of the U.S. healthcare system to better serve youth with behavioral health needs. Covers the behavioral health workforce, transparency and compliance with existing screening and treatment requirements, promoting integrated primary care and behavioral health services in pediatric settings, the needs of youth with the highest acuity behavioral health needs, and strengthening crisis and stabilization systems. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Presents policy recommendations from 50 experts and thought leaders regarding how to maximize the potential of the U.S. healthcare system to better serve youth with behavioral health needs. Covers the behavioral health workforce, transparency and compliance with existing screening and treatment requirements, promoting integrated primary care and behavioral health services in pediatric settings, the needs of youth with the highest acuity behavioral health needs, and strengthening crisis and stabilization systems. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Addressing Workforce Challenges Across the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summary of presentations and discussions from a July 2024 public workshop to address workforce needs and challenges related to behavioral healthcare. Includes discussions of telepsychiatry collaborative care to improve rural access and capacity, and recruiting and retaining Native American healthcare providers in behavioral health settings.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summary of presentations and discussions from a July 2024 public workshop to address workforce needs and challenges related to behavioral healthcare. Includes discussions of telepsychiatry collaborative care to improve rural access and capacity, and recruiting and retaining Native American healthcare providers in behavioral health settings.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Behavioral Health Service Use among Individuals Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP Before and During The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Examines behavioral health (BH) service usage changes among Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Compares BH service initiation and treatment before the PHE (2018-2019) and during the PHE (2019-2020), with further data breakdowns by enrollee BH condition and demographic variables, including rural versus urban location.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines behavioral health (BH) service usage changes among Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Compares BH service initiation and treatment before the PHE (2018-2019) and during the PHE (2019-2020), with further data breakdowns by enrollee BH condition and demographic variables, including rural versus urban location.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Medicaid Behavioral Health Providers Delivering Most Behavioral Health Services via Telehealth Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Issue Brief
Examines the extent to which Medicaid behavioral health providers shifted their practices to mostly telebehavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic through December 2021. Explores differences between specialty and non-specialty behavioral health providers, providers serving enrollees with mental health conditions versus substance use disorders, and rural and urban providers.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines the extent to which Medicaid behavioral health providers shifted their practices to mostly telebehavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic through December 2021. Explores differences between specialty and non-specialty behavioral health providers, providers serving enrollees with mental health conditions versus substance use disorders, and rural and urban providers.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report
Report highlights the rate of suicide among veterans and the VA's role in suicide prevention. Discusses the causes of veteran suicide and the steps the VA is taking for suicide prevention. Breaks down rates of suicide by gender, contact with the VHA, and rurality, among other factors. The 2024 report is split into two parts. The second part is added as and additional link.
Additional links: Data Appendix, Part 2: Report Findings
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Report highlights the rate of suicide among veterans and the VA's role in suicide prevention. Discusses the causes of veteran suicide and the steps the VA is taking for suicide prevention. Breaks down rates of suicide by gender, contact with the VHA, and rurality, among other factors. The 2024 report is split into two parts. The second part is added as and additional link.
Additional links: Data Appendix, Part 2: Report Findings
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Use of Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities by Medicare Beneficiaries with Dementia
Describes the sociodemographic and health characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with and without dementia who use inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs). Examines diagnoses and utilization that precede psychiatric inpatient stays and outcomes following IPF stays, including health care utilization and mortality. Includes data on Medicare IPF patients who reside in rural counties and counties that are entirely or partially in a primary care or mental health Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Author(s): Mark Sorbero, Flora Sheng, Swad Komanduri, Jodi L. Liu
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Describes the sociodemographic and health characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with and without dementia who use inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs). Examines diagnoses and utilization that precede psychiatric inpatient stays and outcomes following IPF stays, including health care utilization and mortality. Includes data on Medicare IPF patients who reside in rural counties and counties that are entirely or partially in a primary care or mental health Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Author(s): Mark Sorbero, Flora Sheng, Swad Komanduri, Jodi L. Liu
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Trends in Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders among Children and Adolescents in the US, 2016–2021
Analyzes mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) in children and factors that contribute to MBDD outcomes. Utilizes 2016-2021 National Survey of Children's Health data with breakdowns according to prevalence and type of MBDD, receipt of healthcare services, parent and family well-being, community support and safety, and demographic characteristics of children with MBDD, including urban/suburban versus rural location.
Author(s): Rebecca T. Leeb, Melissa L. Danielson, Angelika H. Claussen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) in children and factors that contribute to MBDD outcomes. Utilizes 2016-2021 National Survey of Children's Health data with breakdowns according to prevalence and type of MBDD, receipt of healthcare services, parent and family well-being, community support and safety, and demographic characteristics of children with MBDD, including urban/suburban versus rural location.
Author(s): Rebecca T. Leeb, Melissa L. Danielson, Angelika H. Claussen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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Understanding the Optimal Balance of Using Telehealth and In-person Services to Support Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance
Explores the balance between telehealth and in-person care for serious mental illness (SMI) and children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Summarizes findings from an environmental scan and focus groups with mental health providers, adults with SMI, and parents of children with SED. Discusses how focus group participants made decisions about using telehealth versus in-person mental healthcare and how telehealth impacted access to care and engagement in treatment relative to in-person services.
Author(s): Jasmine Little, Megan Dormond, Sarah Croake, et al.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Explores the balance between telehealth and in-person care for serious mental illness (SMI) and children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Summarizes findings from an environmental scan and focus groups with mental health providers, adults with SMI, and parents of children with SED. Discusses how focus group participants made decisions about using telehealth versus in-person mental healthcare and how telehealth impacted access to care and engagement in treatment relative to in-person services.
Author(s): Jasmine Little, Megan Dormond, Sarah Croake, et al.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Identifying Factors Associated With Variation in Telemental Health Delivery at Federally Qualified Health Centers
Examines telemental health delivery at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the U.S. Analyzes 1,270 FQHCs and their telemental appointments in 2021 and provides statistics according to mental health staffing, rurality of FQHC, state, and patient population descriptors, including age, race/ethnicity, and insurance status.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Connor Sullivan, Maria Gaiser, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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Examines telemental health delivery at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the U.S. Analyzes 1,270 FQHCs and their telemental appointments in 2021 and provides statistics according to mental health staffing, rurality of FQHC, state, and patient population descriptors, including age, race/ethnicity, and insurance status.
Author(s): Brianna Lombardi, Connor Sullivan, Maria Gaiser, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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State of the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2024
Offers demographic and occupational data on the behavioral health workforce including current and projected shortages. Data sources include both 2022 and 2023. Offers comparisons of shortages between rural and urban counties. Discusses challenges driving workforce shortages.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Offers demographic and occupational data on the behavioral health workforce including current and projected shortages. Data sources include both 2022 and 2023. Offers comparisons of shortages between rural and urban counties. Discusses challenges driving workforce shortages.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Behavioral health
- Behavioral health workforce
- Mental health
- Mental health conditions
- Suicide and suicide prevention
Last Updated: 1/9/2025