On October 27, 2023, APA Services and the Rural Health Section of Division 31 (State, Provincial and Territorial Affairs) hosted a webinaropens in new window that served as the launch of a series of events focused on the unique challenges and solutions to accessing mental health services in rural areas. APA Services planned this event alongside Paul Korte, PhD, as president of Division 31, and Emily Selby-Nelson, PsyD, as chair of the new Division 31 Rural Health Section. The event featured a keynote address from Diane M. Hall, PhD, MSEd—the inaugural director of the CDC Office of Rural Health—as well as remarks from Tom Morris, MPA, associate administrator for Rural Health Policy in the Health Resources and Services Administration. Hall has used her background in school, community, and child clinical psychology to advance policy to improve the population’s health. She previously served in CDC’s Office of Violence Prevention where she worked on research related to teen dating violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and youth violence.
The webinar also featured a panel of psychologists who each spoke to the unique challenges and solutions to increasing access to mental health treatment in their respective rural communities: Iva Greywolf, PhD (Alaska); Rebecca Roller, PsyD (Midwest); and Marianna Linz, PhD (Appalachia). The panel was moderated by Selby-Nelson.
Stay tuned for more events on rural mental health in the coming year.
For more information, contact Andrew Strickland.