Supporting Mental Health in Rural and Indigenous Communities
Harvard Graduate School of Education (2023) presented a webinar through Education Now titled “How Caregivers and Educators Can Support the Mental Well-being of Rural and Indigenous Youth.” The host was Richard Weissbourd, Senior Lecturer on Education and Director, Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education; speakers were Blake Berryhill, Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies; Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Program, University of Alabama; LaVonne Fox, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Turtle Mountain Community College, North Dakota; and Robert Roark, Project Director, Full-Service Community School (FSCS) Leslie, Partners for Rural Impact, Kentucky; former principal, Leslie County High School, Kentucky. They begin by observing that:
Medical leaders have declared the state of youth mental health a national emergency. In rural and Indigenous communities, young people face unique mental health risks and barriers to care. Now, experts working to support children and adolescents living in rural regions join us to share experiences and best practices in providing services and safeguarding mental health.
Key takeaways:
Adolescents in rural and Indigenous communities can face significant access, stigma and cultural obstacles to mental health services — schools can help.
Loss of cultural identity and historical and generational trauma can contribute to current mental health challenges.
Educators can be trained to identify and respond to red flags and intervene with creative tactics. Involve families and students.
Resources:
Strengthening Resilience: Promoting Positive School Mental Health Among Indigenous Youth
National Center for Rural School Mental Health (Rural SMH)
Making Caring Common's Teen Mental Health Primer
Rural Resilience
Implementing Full-Service Community Schools in a Rural Setting
I hope these resources can be helpful to those who work with rural and indigenous clients. I think there are many transitions during which rural and indigenous students face both cultural obstacles to seeking help and losses that exacerbate mental health challenges.