Behavorial health leaders meet providers in North Platte
The North Platte TelegraphOct 06, 2017
In
Leaders from the
Dr.
Liu said it can be more difficult to recruit and retain mental health professionals in rural areas, which is something that the center is focused on.
"Our goal is to meet with stakeholders in behavioral health in western
High school students often want to leave their small town to experience the big city, Liu said. Sometimes they don't return to rural areas. The center has partnered with 15 behavioral health academic programs in hopes of keeping 50 percent of students in
In other cases, it can be difficult to recruit a provider who has always lived in an urban area to work in a rural one.
"I think people that didn't grow up in rural communities may not understand how good it is to live in one like
He said the center has established rotations in hospitals such as
The center also tries to offer support, continuing education and other services to providers who are already practicing in rural areas.
"We have to support them so they don't get burnt out," Liu said.
The center has also been working on initiatives that combine elements of behavioral health with primary care. This means a mental health provider, such as a therapist, may work in a primary care office, so a patient can have a mental health screening without having to wait to get into a specialty clinic.
Liu said data from integrated offices show a significant increase in people following through on mental health referrals. He explained that being able to meet with a provider in a familiar setting may eliminate some of the stigma that surrounds mental health care and put patients at ease.