NARMH History
The National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH) was founded in
1977 in order to develop and enhance rural mental health and substance abuse
services and to support mental health providers in rural areas.
Subsequently, recognizing the role that consumers and their families play in
recovery, NARMH has proactively supported initiatives that strengthen the
voices of rural consumers and their families.
NARMH is a membership organization composed of organizations and individuals
from across the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada and a
few foreign countries. NARMH’s membership includes the entire spectrum of
the rural mental health community: consumers, family members, practitioners,
administrators, educators, researchers, and policy makers. A focus on and a
commitment to rural people and their problems has always been the priority
and unifying force in NARMH. This belief that "rural" comes first has
allowed NARMH to be relatively free of the turf battles and guild issues
that have so fragmented the general field of mental health.
NARMH’s mission is "linking voices to promote rural mental health." NARMH
carries out this mission through electronic (website and listservs) and
print communication, an annual national conference, participation in
national policy making, and special projects. In line with the mission,
NARMH has developed such publications as Rural Mental Health: 2000 and
Beyond which focuses on building consumer support and involvement; enhancing
competence; understanding and managing cost; strengthening communication;
and connecting better electronically, organizationally, and politically.
More recently NARMH released a publication entitled Rural and Frontier
Mental and Behavioral Health Care: Barriers, Effective Policy Strategies,
Best Practices. The publication utilized survey data from NARMH membership
as well as interviews with more than thirty rural mental health stakeholders
to address several key areas in meeting the mental health needs of rural
America.
NARMH evolved from a Summer Study Program (SSP) on Rural Mental Health at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The program was established in 1973 by
Victor I. Howery through the University of Wisconsin-Extension Service with
support from the National Institute of Mental Health. The SSP was in
response to the growing recognition of special issues and concerns facing
persons delivering mental health services to rural populations. Before the
SSP, rural mental health was little more than a scattered and unconnected
set of researchers and practitioners trying to grapple with the problems and
prospects of understanding and meeting mental health needs of rural
populations.
A committee was formed in 1975 to investigate the feasibility of a rural
mental health association and in 1977, a professional association called
NARMH was established. The first issue of Rural Community Mental Health was
published. A "Task Panel on Rural Mental Health," chaired by Victor Howery
with a significant representation from the young association, was created as
part of President Carter’s Commission on Mental Health. Rosalynn Carter was
an active member of the Task Panel. The work of this Task Panel resulted in
the first national public policy attention directed specifically at rural
mental health and was the impetus for a number of subsequent initiatives by
the National Institute of Mental Health. In recognition of Dr. Howery’s
service the "Victor I. Howery Memorial Award" was established in 1978. The
Victor I. Howery Memorial Award is given annually to an individual who has
made significant contributions to the field of rural mental health. The
first Howery Award recipient was Rosalynn Carter.
During the late 1980s, NARMH gained national recognition as a leader in
addressing mental health issues related to the farm crisis. NARMH board
members worked with other organizations developing national policy
recommendations and testifying on numerous occasions before Congress,
speaking to national associations and advisory groups, and presenting at
national conferences conveying insight, awareness, and compassion about the
impact of the farm crisis on the mental health of rural Americans.
The early 1990s was the era of health care reform and increasing national
prominence for NARMH. NARMH was a key player in the Clinton Administration’s
health care reform efforts. During this period, NARMH worked with other
organizations to promote rural mental health, co-sponsored rural mental
health conferences, released special publications and successfully advocated
for the creation of a rural mental health technical assistance center
(Frontier Mental Health Services Resources Network) focused on frontier
service areas.
In 1992, NARMH added a newsletter (The Party-Line) to its publications in
order to improve membership communication. In the mid-1990s NARMH became a
regular participant in the annual Carter Center Symposium on Mental Health.
NARMH joined with over 40 other mental health organizations and interest
groups to form the Mental Health Liaison Group which develops
recommendations on national mental health policy and advocates for mental
health at the federal level. In 1996, NARMH created a new national award,
the "Going to Bat Award," which is given to a person who has been a strong
advocate of rural mental health. NARMH recognized its 25th anniversary
(1998) with the publication of a special anniversary issue of Rural
Community Mental Health.
The late 1990s saw a reemergence of the farm crisis and once again NARMH
responded by collaborating with other organizations to convene a national
summit on "The Farm Crisis and Mental Health." The resulting publication, a
special issue of the NARMH newsletter Party Line (Winter 1999), has become
the single most important resource and reference on the subject. NARMH was
also instrumental in getting a discussion of rural mental health issues
included in Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (1999). To
further disseminate information and keep membership informed, NARMH
developed its own web site (www.narmh.org) in 1999.
In 2000, in partnership with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy,
NARMH embarked on a yearlong process to develop Rural Mental Health and
Behavioral Health Policy and Action Aganda. In collaboration with the Center
for Mental Health Services, NARMH began work to produced a technical
assistance manual titled Mental Health Outreach: Promising Practices in
Rural Areas.
As NARMH entered the 21st Century there were a number of changes. The
organization’s newsletter, Party Line, and journal, Rural Community Mental
Health, were combined into a single magazine/journal style quarterly
publication, Rural Mental Health. The last of the original art work (prints)
for the Howery Award was given in 2001 and the Board selected photographs by
board member and former President/Howery Award winner Peter Beeson as the
next generation of awards.
Over the years, NARMH, with the help of a dedicated membership, has made
significant contributions in raising awareness of rural mental health needs
and in removing barriers to meeting the needs of persons with mental illness
living in rural areas. NARMH is looking forward to many more decades of
national leadership and linking voices to promote rural mental health.
NARMH has been on the forefront of creating a Building a National Plan for
Rural Mental Health with other stakeholders including SAMHSA. In addition,
NARMH has two new initiatives to strengthen the voices of rural consumers
and their families and to develop and mentor the next generation of rural
mental health leaders and researchers.
Visit the NARMH website at www.narmh.org for more information regarding
NARMH’s history, leadership, conferences, awards, and publications.