Making the inaccessible accessible for those in need of mental health support, may be closer than you think. It is all about being informed.
The most common challenges we face in rural mental health are; affordability, accessibility and knowledge around the right mental health service provider to meet each individuals needs.
The fears that extend from these challenges are; people further deteriorating in these gaps, and the lack of options to access adequate and timely care.
This presentation offers a better understanding of the gaps in treatment services, and how, with knowledge of these gaps, you as rural communities, can better support yourselves and the people that you care for; reducing the vulnerability that comes from uncertainty, and replacing it with the clarity needed for authentic and empathically supported care.
This will be done by sharing:
• Knowledge of the different types of professionals and informed ways of accessing them.
• Facts around affordability so you can better determine sustainable options
• Facts around accessibility and matching the most aligned type of care, to the level of mental health challenge that a person is experiencing
• How to get comfortable sharing what you know, to reduce stigma and increase appropriate levels of care
• Accessible supports designed to fill these gaps

If any of these points resonate with you and the challenges you face in your communities, then I look forward to being responsive to those challenges by sharing some potential solutions with you.