Legislative
The National Association for Rural Mental Health has a strong history of developing and supporting a legislative agenda aimed at supporting state and federal policies focused on improving the behavioral health and social welfare of people in rural communities. At this time, members of NARMH are working to update the organization’s legislative agenda, and encourage all members to be part of the process. Please feel to contact us to both be a part of the new legislative agenda development process and to assist in the writing of this document. Traditional areas of legislative concern held by NARMH are as follows:
- Addressing the behavioral health needs of farmers and agricultural workers
- Responding to issues associated with parity for behavioral health services
- Challenges associated with our rural military Veterans population
- Access to services and resources issues across rural and frontier areas
- Incarceration of rural residents in county jails for behavioral health concerns
- Workforce and lack-of-provider challenges in rural regions
- Addressing the behavioral health needs among underrepresented groups in rural regions
- Addressing rural alcohol and substance abuse and misuse, with special focus on opioids and methamphetamine.