Best Practices in Rural Medicaid Managed Behavioral Health: Developing Infrastructure for Mental Health Delivery

OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Industry Analysis The inadequacies of mental health services delivery in rural areas have been well established Rural systems have lower availability of mental health providers (particularly psychiatrists), rely more on primary care providers, have limited referral options, and encounter stronger barriers to care posed by stigma and travel distance" These well-documented deficiencies of the delivery infrastructure are compounded by the characteristics of the rural populations they serve, which include high proportions of working poor and uninsured individuals and families in sparsely populated and often remote locations. With limited access . . .