Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

This installment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series presents information about rural communities that should be considered in the development and implementation of behavioral health preparedness and response plans. View the collection's annotated bibliography, which contains links to each resource; and helpful links, which provide links to organizations, agencies, and other resources that address the issues unique to rural communities.

It is organized into the following two categories:

• General Considerations—Information on rural communities including traits attributed to this population, their general attitudes toward mental health and substance abuse, and issues related to behavioral health service delivery with potential application to rural communities affected by disasters.
• Community and Faith-Based Approaches—Resources with a focus on faith- and community-based approaches that can be applied to disaster behavioral health outreach strategies for rural communities. Includes guidance on the benefits of using telehealth technology as an alternative and supportive method for delivery of behavioral health services.