Trainings and Resources

The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services recently published a policy brief on behavioral health and primary care integration in rural health facilities.

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy recently announced $1.365M supporting three awards to improve behavioral health care services in rural counties served by the Northern Border Regional Commission.  This three-year project will support education and training for health professionals in treatment and interventions for behavioral health disorders, including substance use disorder.

A recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court changes federal protections for reproductive health care services to a decision made at the state level.  To help patients and providers better understand quickly changing policies, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services created a site to explain access to care for those with and without insurance coverage.  Research has shown rural-urban disparities in unintended pregnancies as well as an ongoing decline in obstetric services in rural areas. 

More than twenty percent of adults—or 1 in 5—experience a behavioral health disorder every year in the United States. Behavioral health disorders can be challenging to identify, screen for and treat, especially in rural communities and the supply of behavioral health providers often cannot meet the demand for services. This webinar highlighted state policy options to increase access to rural behavioral health providers, including leveraging telebehavioral health, considering licensing policies and compacts, utilizing emerging health professionals to address workforce gaps, and examining scope of practice policies for behavioral health professionals.

With the support of the Delta Regional Authority and the Health Resources Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the National Rural Health Resource Center provides selected rural Delta hospitals, clinics and their communities with technical assistance through the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program. The purpose of the DRCHSD Program is to assist leaders and providers in identifying and addressing health care needs while strengthening the local health care system.

America's Healthy Food Initiative provides technical assistance organizations that are planning a food retail or enterprise project that aligns with the goals of America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

The Opioid Use Disorder, Pregnant Women and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS): Addressing the Challenges (Part II) webinar took place on June 9, 2020.