Handbook Of Rural And Remote Mental Health

This Handbook outlines in detail the features and challenges of rural and remote mental health service delivery and pragmatic considerations to address these, to ensure people in less populated areas receive an equivalent quality of service to their city-dwelling counterparts. The scope of the book includes general descriptions of the rural and remote context as well as the professional and ethical considerations involved in working in these areas. The book includes information specific to the professions that contribute to effective and efficient mental health services, as well as addressing specific areas of practice that warrant focused attention because of their importance. In order to cover the field comprehensively, the Handbook has four sections. The first section deals with the general context of rural and remote practice including a description of the general features of the setting and the importance of attention to ethical and professional standards. The second section of the Handbook describes different ways of working in rural and remote contexts. Rural and remote contexts provide many opportunities for innovation and creativity but it is imperative that novel approaches do not compromise the quality and integrity of the service. The third section covers individual professions in detail and the fourth section focuses specifically on particular areas of practice that present challenges for rural and remote areas. Academics will find this Handbook a valuable evidence-based resource to enhance their teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate mental health students. Practitioners will find this book an important reference guide to enrich and broaden their rural and remote experiences. They will be informed of the latest research evidence and will be provided with practical advice and strategies to promote advanced clinical practice in this challenging context.

This handbook offers a comprehensive overview of school mental health (SMH) initiatives in rural areas in the United States. It offers clinical and administrative guidelines for innovative and effective programs addressing critical problems among rural youth and in areas where funding and resources are scarce. Chapters cover program development, implementation, sustainability, and evaluation; consider issues of community and policy support; address barriers to access and delivery; and debunk misconceptions about the region and its cultures. Chapters also discuss rural SMH applications relating to special populations, including students with autism, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, conduct disorders, and ADHD. In addition, the book examines the potential of school-based programs as a counter to the stigma and distrust of mental health services common to the region. “/div>Topics featured in the Handbook include: The value of rural SMH from an educator’s standpoint. Preventing suicide among students in rural schools. Substance abuse in rural school settings. Bullying and cyberbully among rural youth. Intergenerational patterns of mental illness in rural settings and their relevance for SMH. The importance of involving communities in culturally competent rural interventions. The Handbook of Rural School Mental Health is a must-have resource for researchers, scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in child and school psychology, educational psychology, social work/counseling, educational policymakers, pediatrics/school nursing, teaching, and teacher education.div

This book provides a comprehensive overview of mental health in rural America, with the goal of fostering urgently needed research and honest conversations about providing accessible, culturally competent mental health care to rural populations. Grounding the work is an explanation of the history and structure of rural mental health care, the culture of rural living among diverse groups, and the crucial "A’s" and "S": accountability, accessibility, acceptability, affordability, and stigma. The book then examines poverty, disaster mental health, ethics in rural mental health, and school counseling. It ends with practical information and treatments for two of the most common problems, suicide and substance abuse, and a brief exploration of collaborative possibilities in rural mental health care.

Rural communities are often portrayed or perceived in one of two ways. One is the image of idyllic, bucolic villages located in the midst of beautiful, unspoiled natural environments where everyone knows each other and enjoys slow-paced, carefree living. An alternative perspective is of rural towns as blighted and economically depressed, filled with residents who are hopeless, physically disabled, and trapped while the land, water, and air around them are spoiled and turning toxic. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. Specifically regarding mental health issues, research has indicated that people living in rural areas have significant mental health problems (e.g., major depression, substance abuse) to the same or a greater extent than people living in urban areas (Gale & Lambert, 2006; Office of Rural Health Policy, n.d.; Sawyer, Gale, & Lambert, 2006). Of note, the suicide rate has been consistently higher in rural areas than in urban settings for decades (Office of Rural Health Policy, n.d.). At the same time, rural residents often have limited availability of mental health service providers and, even if they are available, limited access to these professionals. In general, rural areas do not have specialized mental health service providers available, as evidenced by the fact that the majority of rural residents live in mental health professional shortage areas (Gale & Lambert, 2006). As a result, people living in rural areas tend to rely on informal support networks or their primary care physician rather than mental health specialists to a far greater extent than urban dwellers (Gale & Lambert, 2006; see also Harowski et al., 2006, p. 160). Unfortunately, the research indicates that non-psychiatric physicians are not effective at detecting and treating conditions such as depression (Harowski et al., p. 160), which is not an indictment of the medical doctors but rather a reflection of the reality that they have neither the time nor the training to do a thorough psychological evaluation and intervention for their patients. Rural residents also tend to be poor at identifying mental health problems and knowing what treatment options are available (Gale & Lambert, 2006; Office of Rural Health Policy, n.d.), which leads to them often entering care later and with more severe conditions (Gale & Lambert). Other factors that impede accessibility of mental health specialist providers are the distances rural residents may need to travel to see a mental health service provider (coupled with unreliable transportation and no access to mass transit) and the inability to pay for services even if they can get to the offices (Gale & Lambert, 2006; Office of Rural Health Policy, n.d.). The growing area of telehealth is often mentioned as a possibility to help with accessibility and availability (e.g., Sawyer et al., 2006; ORHP, n.d.) The table of contents was developed based on the issues discussed above and others identified in the literature (e.g., stigma associated with seeking mental health services), consultation with experts (e.g., faculty training students to work in rural areas, members of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Rural Health), and discussions with rural providers. This book will provide a solid foundation for those new to practice in rural areas as well as offer new information to even seasoned mental and physical health professionals. Table of Contents follows.

This comprehensive and highly useful guide offers students and practicing clinicians who work with infant and preschool populations a much-needed resource for developing and honing their professional skills and clinical experiences. The book contains vital information about general training issues and highlights the skills that are needed to be considered a competent professional. Written by top experts in the field from a wide range of disciplines, the authors address basic areas of training and practice with very young children, including observation, assessment, diagnosis, dyadic therapy, and reflective supervision, in addition to unique areas of clinical work such as reunification and adoption evaluations. The book also offers examples of innovative models of training and practice for the delivery of services in nontraditional settings such as homes, day care centers, and preschools, and special strategies for delivering clinical services and providing supervision in rural and remote settings, including the use of technology.

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This book provides vivid examples of school mental health innovations from 18 countries, addressing mental health promotion, prevention and interventions. These initiatives and innovations enable readers from different regions and disciplines to apply strategies to help students achieve and maintain mental health, enhance their learning outcomes and access services, worldwide.