This is an invitation to a webinar on April 24th at 11am PST, hosted by the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services (NACRHHS). If you work in a rural county, or a county with significant rural areas - this may be of interest.
NACRHHS is a 21-member citizens' panel of nationally recognized experts who provide recommendations on rural issues to the Secretary of the Department.
This webinar will present findings and recommendations from a Policy Brief on Understanding the Impact of Suicide in Rural America. Although the webinar is focused on recommendations at the federal level, you might be interested in listening in.
Please see the webinar announcement below. For more information and to register for this webinar, click HERE
To view the associated policy brief electronically click HERE or click on the attached document.
Copied from page 3 of the attached report:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Research and Evaluation
1. The Committee recommends that the Secretary require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a national comprehensive evaluation that assesses existing state and Tribal efforts to reduce rural suicide rates and that identifies successful evidence-based, rural-specific strategies that can be implemented within states and Tribal communities.
2. The Committee recommends the Secretary require the Agency for Health Research and Quality and the National Institutes of Mental Health to conduct research on the use of Community Health Workers to determine if these efforts can reduce suicide risk and increase referrals for at-risk individuals. The study should also look at cost- and clinical effectiveness of these efforts and broadly disseminate findings.
Outreach, Promotion, and Awareness
3. The Committee recommends Health Resources and Services Administration to expand and increase the promotion of the Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Network and Quality Improvement grant programs through HHS partners to inform rural communities on the opportunity to incorporate suicide prevention activities and increase access to mental health services using grant funds.
4. The Committee recommends HHS Agencies and Offices to promote the broader use of the PHQ-9, a clinically validated depression screening and monitoring instrument, in rural health facilities and to educate providers on how to bill for services.
5. The Committee recommends Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to integrate rural-specific research and considerations for prevention into the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention if it is revised and updated so as to reflect existing rural suicide trends and disparities
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