Survey of 20 community mental health centers in 12 Midwest grain belt farm states found continuum of farm crisis problems requires professional responses consistent with philosophy and goals of community mental health. Results indicate responses vary, not in relationship to severity of problems, but because of center philosophy and resource…

Identifies characteristics and competencies that define the right kind of person for rural mental health center administration. In order of importance, characteristics defined are leadership ability, appreciation of rural community, program development, professional background and training, political savvy, personnel management, budget and fiscal…

Discusses recent successes with innovative training program for staff working with chronically mentally ill. Describes program development, program structure, program content, and funding issues. Emphasizes value of collaboration between academia and mental health service agencies. (Author/TES)

After discussing theories of attitude change, recommends that mental health workers overcome the negative attitudes of rural communities toward mental health programs by forming positive, personal, affective bonds with rural community members. Presents strategies for establishing and maintaining these bonds in private life, clinical work, and…

Block granting disburses mental health funds largely at the discretion of state mental health authorities, and state priorities typically focus on the most severely ill persons. Rural centers may suffer because multipurpose programs responding to a wide range of community needs are excluded from the mental health service delivery concept. (JHZ)

Examines APPAL-LINK, the Southwestern Virginia Telepsychiatry Project. The project uses state-of-the-art telemedicine equipment to link a state psychiatric hospital with two rural, isolated community mental health center programs. Provides an overview of telemedicine and discusses the problems, opportunities, and future of the project. (MJP)

In a survey of 4 North Dakota communities, 40% of the respondents knew of the area's mental health center. Distance from the center, sex, and educational level were associated with awareness of the center's existence. Respondents sought aid from medical and religious resources more often than from mental health resources. (JHZ)

Describes the Wyoming Infant Stimulation Program (WISP) and its numerous collaborative activities with federal, state, and local agencies including the Agricultural Extension Service and maternal and child health programs. Notes that successful collaboration was informal and involved cooperation on specific, discrete joint projects responding to…

Describes step-by-step procedure for creating a 20-minute public relations slide/tape show for a large community mental health and home health agency in rural Maine. Emphasizes importance of face-to-face contact, identifying and addressing the potential audience, creating a neighbor-to-neighbor atmosphere, and imaginatively using graphics to…

Describes program of a southeastern Washington rural community mental health center to promote preventative interventions in five rural elementary and high schools and to improve coordination between county social service agencies and rural schools. Discusses implementation, acceptance, continuation, and evaluation of the program. (LFL)

This collection of 10 author-contributed papers addresses various aspects of programming for students with behavioral disorders. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Teacher Ratings of School Survival Skills and Setting Demands" (Bill Bursuck et al.); (2) "Toward Least Restrictive Curriculum for Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents"…

This instructor's resource guide, one in a series of products from a project to develop an associate degree program for paraprofessional rural family health promoters, deals with conducting a health promotion seminar. Covered in the first section of the guide are the role of a health care promotion seminar in rural health promotional training,…

This instructor's resource guide, one in a series of products from a project to develop an associate degree program for paraprofessional rural family health promoters, deals with teaching a course in health care organization and issues. Covered in the first section of the guide are the role of health care organization and health issues in rural…