Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
August 13, 2007, Vol. 07-123

A Call for Manuscripts for a Special Issue of the Journal of Rural Mental Health

A Publication of the National Association of Rural Mental Health

Innovations in the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce for Children and Families

Guest Editors: A. Kathryn Power, MEd., Susan G. Keys, PhD, and Gary Blau, PhD Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Developing a competent, available, accessible, and acceptable behavioral health workforce is a key to assuring a fulfilling life for all children and families in rural communities. The "National Plan for Rural Behavioral Health: First Steps-Workforce Development" identifies developing a stable, highly skilled, culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health workforce as a primary goal.

JRMH's special issue seeks to identify innovative and promising approaches to developing and maintaining a rural behavioral and mental health workforce for children and families in state, tribal, and local communities. It will showcase innovative workforce programs and practices in areas of:

• Recruitment and retention of a behavioral health workforce
• Financing of behavioral health services and programs
• Training a new or existing behavioral health workforce
• Use of evidence-based interventions
• School-based mental health practices
• Linkages of children's behavioral health with primary care

Submitted manuscripts should meet all of the following criteria:

• Fit one or more of the above categories
• Be relevant to children's behavioral health
• Be located in a rural state, tribal, or local community
• Be related to workforce development

Manuscripts will be peer reviewed for overall quality of the program; innovation; potential to build community; attention to diversity issues; engagement of families and consumers; and impact on workforce. Manuscripts should be no more than 15 double-spaced pages.

Instructions for Submitted Manuscripts

(1) Identify the category that best describes your innovative practice or program:

• Recruitment and retention and the professional quality of life of a behavioral health workforce
• Financing of behavioral health services and programs
• Training a new or existing behavioral health workforce
• Use of evidence-based interventions
• School-based mental health practices
• Linkages of children's behavioral health with primary care

(2) Describe your practice or program, using the following:

• Identify target population and setting for the practice or program
• Overall goal
• Description of the actual practice or program
• Measured impact on workforce/other outcomes to date
• Integration of cultural issues
• Collaborations with groups of stakeholders, including family members and other caregivers, as well as consumers

(3) Explain how your practice or program holds the potential to build state, Tribal, or local community workforce capacity.

(4) Does this practice or program link with systems of care? If so, how?

(5) Identify lessons learned.

Deadline for submitting applications: November 30, 2007

Submissions that are incomplete or fail to follow the instructions will not be considered. Manuscripts should be submitted to the Journal of Rural Mental Health following the standard submission procedures listed in the front of the journal. Please indicate that your submission is for the SAMSHA special issue, Innovations in the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce for Children and Families. Questions may be sent to the JRMH at jrmh@isu.edu.

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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.