Journal of Rural Mental Health, Vol 46(4), Oct 2022, 249-259; doi:10.1037/rmh0000205
Rural communities face barriers to care including limited access to mental health services due to geographic isolation as well as a shortage of service providers to underserved areas. Community professionals working in areas absent of behavioral health providers require ongoing education to meet the behavioral health needs of the areas they serve. To facilitate increased professional development opportunities related to mental and behavioral health in rural contexts, the NDSU Extension Service in partnership with a local behavioral health entity provides an innovative professional development approach. This case study examines information on 4 years of an annual training seminar on mental and behavioral health topics delivered via an interactive video network to rural community professionals across North Dakota. Individuals participating in the training (N = 733) demonstrated: (a) high perceived value of training provided; (b) positive impacts on knowledge related to seminar content on mental and behavioral health; and (c) planned steps to share and implement information obtained during the seminar in professional settings and local communities. Implications from the case study for Extension-led professional development for community professionals, addressing mental and behavioral health in rural contexts, and working in rural communities are explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)