PLENARY SESSIONS
ORHP Update
Thursday, June 3 (8:45 to 9:00 a.m.)
Julia Bryan, MPH, CHES, Grants Program Coordinator, HRSA’s Federal
Office of Rural Health Policy
This presentation will provide an update on ORHP programs, activities and
resources available to rural communities.
LCDR Julia Bryan joined the Federal Office of Rural
Health Policy (ORHP) in the Department of Health and
Human Services’ Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) in April of 2007. She is the
Grants Program Coordinator for all programs within the
ORHP and provides guidance and leadership to staff
regarding the grants process. Prior to joining ORHP,
LCDR Bryan was a Project Officer for several years with
the Community Health Center program in HRSA’s Bureau of
Primary Health Care.
(1) Plenary: How Many Pickups in Your
Parking Lot? Cowboy Poets and Rural Behavioral Health
Thursday, June 3 (10:00 to 11:00 a.m.)
Jack Westfall, M.D., MPH, University of Colorado Denver School of
Medicine
Jack Westfall will discuss common and unique barriers to providing
behavioral health in rural communities. He will provide examples of
innovative solutions to these barriers, and discuss the paradigm shift from
treating mental illness to providing opportunities for behavioral health.
Dr. Westfall has devoted his career to improving
rural health. As the founder and director of the High
Plains Research Network he has developed strong links
with community physicians, hospital administrators, and
community members throughout rural and frontier eastern
Colorado. He received his medical degree and MPH from
the University of Kansas, completed an internship in
Medicine and Pediatrics from the University of Kansas in
Wichita and his Family Medicine Residency at Rose
Hospital and the University of Colorado. Jack has
practiced rural family medicine part-time for the past 9
years, 8 years in Limon, and now part-time in his
hometown of Yuma, Colorado. The HPRN has conducted over
a dozen research projects and has received over $2
million in funding from a variety of agencies including
the CDC, AHRQ, Colorado Dept of Public Health, and
several Colorado Foundations. Research topics
range from care of acute heart attacks to asthma
management, to colon cancer prevention, medical
mistakes, and underinsurance. The HPRN actively involves
rural community members in the development and
implementation of research through the Community
Advisory Council, a group of 12 community members
representing farmers, ranchers, school teachers,
business owners and retirees. Dr. Westfall has
been the Associate Dean for Rural Health at the
University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine for 5
years. He actively works to increase collaborations
among these organizations and seeks to build bridges
between rural communities and the University of Colorado
Denver Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Westfall was
recently appointed the Colorado AHEC Director. The
Colorado AHEC has 5 regional offices throughout Colorado
committed to improving healthcare in every county of
Colorado.
(2) Plenary: The Rural Policy Landscape:
Thursday, June 3 (9:00 to 10:00 a.m.)
Alan Morgan, MPA, National Rural Health Association
Rural America is a unique health care delivery environment that requires
innovative approaches to delivering health care. This session will
look and current and future trends in rural health policy. Attendees
will hear about recent Federal legislative and regulatory efforts to improve
access to care, and what steps they can take to make a difference for their
rural communities.
Alan Morgan has been with the National Rural Health
Association since 2001. Mr. Morgan has more than
19 years experience in health policy development at the
state and federal level. He served as staff for
former US Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas
Governor Mike Hayden. Additionally, his experience
includes tenures with the American Society of Clinical
Pathologists and with the Heart Rhythm Society where he
established a Washington, DC based government affairs
office. Prior to joining NRHA, he served as a federal
lobbyist for VHA Inc.
Mr. Morgan’s health policy articles have been
published in: The Journal of Rural Health, The Journal
of Cardiovascular Management, The Journal of Pacing and
Clinical Electrophysiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology
Review, and in Laboratory Medicine. He holds a
bachelor's degree in journalism from University of
Kansas and a master's degree in public administration
from George Mason University.
(3) Plenary: The Agrarian Imperative
Friday, June 4 (9:00 to 10:00 a.m.)
Michael R. Rosmann, Ph.D., Executive Director, AgriWellness, Inc.
What drives family farmers to cling so tenaciously to land? The
author proposes that a basic human instinct called the agrarian imperative
instills farmers to work incredibly hard, to endure unusual pain and
hardship and to take uncommon risks. The agrarian imperative helps
explain why agricultural people have higher risks for anxiety disorders,
depression and suicide than non-farm people. The author traces the
development of the agrarian imperative from the earliest human clans to
today's people and describes its genetic basis and associated personality
attributes. Dr. Rosmann will discuss implications for providing
behavioral healthcare to the agricultural population.
Michael R. Rosmann, Ph.D., has devoted most of his
professional life to understanding the behavior of farm
people. A psychologist and farmer, Dr. Rosmann is
the Executive Director of AgriWellness, Inc., which
serves agricultural people in seven upper Midwestern
states. He has appeared on CNN, National
Geographic programs, NPR and in many state national and
international publications.
(4) Plenary: Be Heard- Talking About Mental Health
Friday, June 3 (3:50 to 4:50 p.m.)
Colleen Coffey, MS, Active Minds
Colleen grew up in an environment that set her up to have every success
in life. In that world she never imagined that she would suffer from a
mental disorder. Colleen’s presentation chronicles her personal struggle
with eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Throughout her story, she
uses data about mental health and help seeking behavior to inform
participants of the prevalence of these issues and what has been/ should be
done about them. Colleen also gives information about how to approach those
in need. Colleen is an entertainer, charmer, and inspirational
survivor. This program will leave you inspired and ready to take action.
Colleen is the Program Manager of the Speakers Bureau
at Active Minds. She is a doctoral student in the field
of Leadership where her primary research focus is help
seeking behavior among college students for mental
health issues. Colleen holds a Bachelors Degree in
Social Work from Belmont University and a Masters in
College Student Affairs from Eastern Illinois
University. Colleen is a published author, trainer,
instructional designer, and researcher. She has been
working as a speaker for 6 years and has trained
speakers for 2 years. Colleen is certified Pilates
instructor and teaches for both the YMCA and Pinnacle
Bank in Nashville, TN. She is an avid cycler, reader,
and animal advocate.
(5) Promising Practices in Rural America
Saturday, June 5 (8:30 to 9:30 a.m.)
Panel: Susan Gerenz, M.Ed., Director, Pride Manchester House;
Sean Couch, Director of TeleHealth Oklahoma Statewide Telehealth Network;
and Linda Werlein, CEO, Hill Country Crisis Stabilization Unit
There are many challenges to providing mental health in rural America.
Despite the challenges, there are programs that have had a proven impact on
the mental health of rural Americans. WICHE has been awarded a contract to
help identify promising practices, best practices, models that work, and
evidence based practices in rural mental health delivery across the nation.
By sharing information about these successful programs, other providers of
mental health services can learn from these models of practice and
incorporate these successful program designs within their communities. This
panel presentation proposes to highlight three of the following promising
practices: 1) Pride Manchester House - Pride Manchester House is a
residential psychiatric treatment facility in the state of North Dakota that
exclusively serves young children ages 5-13 years who demonstrate serious
emotional disturbances; 2) Oklahoma Statewide Telehealth Network - The
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has
implemented a Statewide Telehealth Network using real-time videoconferencing
to provide mental health and substance abuse services throughout Oklahoma;
and 3) Hill Country Crisis Stabilization Unit - The Crisis Stabilization
Unit at Hill Country Community Mental Health Mental Retardation Center (Hill
Country MHMR, Texas) is a 16-bed inpatient unit that provides acute care
services to adults in psychiatric crisis.
Susan M. Gerenz, M.Ed., is the director of Pride
Manchester House, a nationally accredited psychiatric
treatment facility for children ages 5-13.
Manchester is North Dakota’s cornerstone treatment
program for young children demonstrating serious
emotional disturbances. Ms. Gerenz was awarded the 2008
Lifetime Achievement award for excellence in service to
ND children and families. Susan was named a Bush
Leadership Fellow for educational leadership and autism
studies. She has been serving children with
emotional disturbances, learning disabilities,
developmental disabilities, and autism for 30 years.
Sean Couch currently serves as the TeleHealth
Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health
and Substance Abuse Services. During his time with
ODMHSAS, Sean has been responsible for the development,
implementation, and maintenance of Oklahoma’s State-Wide
Telemental health Network. This network consists of over
115 remote sites delivering psychiatric and substance
abuse care throughout Oklahoma. Sean had spoke at
several local, state, and national conferences on the
intricacies of developing, implementing, and sustaining
an efficient telehealth network.
AWARDS AND SOCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(1) Awards Luncheon – Howery Award and Going to Bat Award
Thursday, June 3 (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
The Victor I. Howery Memorial Award is given each year to an individual
who has made significant contributions to the rural mental health field.
This year’s recipient is John A. Morris, M.S.W. John Morris is
Director of the Human Services Practice of the Technical Assistance
Collaborative, Inc., a national not-for-profit consulting group based in
Boston, MA. He is also Executive Director of the Annapolis Coalition
on the Behavioral Health Workforce which has just published a national
action plan for workforce development in partnership with the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He is currently Chair of
the Board of Directors of Mental Health America (formerly the National
Mental Health Association), which is celebrating its Centennial year. John
is a past president of the American College of Mental Health Administration
and of the ACMHA Foundation, and in 2006 he was awarded the Saul Feldman
Lifetime Achievement Award, ACMHA’s highest honor. John spent more
than twenty-five years in the public behavioral health field as a clinician,
administrator, researcher and educator. He started his career in
public mental health as a ward attendant at the state hospital, and served a
two-year interim appointment as State Director of Mental Health in South
Carolina. Throughout his career, and today, John Morris has always
taken rural into account.
The “Going to Bat” Award is given to an individual
who has been a strong voice and advocate for rural
mental health. This year, the “Going to Bat” Award
will be given to Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter.
Mrs. Ritter has made mental health, and especially rural
mental health, her key advocacy focus as First Lady.
Mrs. Ritter’s focus on the mental health needs of rural
persons has helped focus attention and support not only
in Colorado, but across the nation. In 1982, Mrs.
Ritter served in the Peace Corps. She was stationed in
the North African country of Tunisia, where she helped
build and open educational and vocational centers for
people with disabilities. In 1986, the first lady and
her husband, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, also worked
in Zambia for three years, where they managed a food
distribution and nutrition center as lay missionaries
for the Catholic Church. The first lady also taught
health education classes to women and families in
addition to helping run the food program. After
returning home, the first lady worked for the Denver
Public Schools as a substitute elementary school
teacher, working with emotionally disturbed children.
Mrs. Ritter exemplifies what it means to “go to bat” for
rural mental health.
(2) Social Event: “An Evening at the Red Rocks”
(additional cost $20 each)
Thursday, June 3 (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.)
Hors d'oeuvres and Live Entertainment as the Sunsets
Enjoy an evening west of Denver in the foothills of Morrison Colorado at
Red Rocks Country Club. There will be a variery of beverages, hors
d'oeuvres, and live entertainment as the sun sets over the mountains.
Transportation is provided to and from and the Red Rocks. The 868-acre
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills
just 15 miles outside of Denver near Morrison, was once listed among the
Seven Wonders of the World—and with good reason. Ship Rock and Creation
Rock, the largest of the monoliths, tower 300 feet above the Red Rocks
Amphitheater. These massive brick-colored sandstone monoliths are taller
than Niagara Falls. The natural beauty of Colorado is captured in this
amazing park and concert venue, providing 360-degree views of Denver and the
Plains for over 200 miles.
(3) NARMH Membership Meeting Luncheon and Rural Arts Award
Friday, June 4 (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Non-members as well as members are encouraged to join us for our annual
membership meeting luncheon on June 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
This year, our membership meeting will highlight some of NARMH’s advocacy
work as well as a few of the projects.
The Rural Arts Award is given annually to honor the life long
contributions of Peter G. (Pete) Beeson to both rural mental health and the
rural arts that Pete has shared over the past thirty plus years. John
Fielder has been nominated for the 2010 Rural Arts Award. John’s long
career in photography has focused almost entirely on the beauty of rural
areas. In Colorado, John is seen as the “State Photographer”,
chronicling historical photographs with modern day images of the same
locale. Most recently, he has completed a photographic look at
ranches. His body of work provides a view of rural and frontier life
that many would not experience without his skill and vision. The
landscapes John provides are the rural America that is pure, crisp, and
real. Having a personal connection with mental health, John has made
significant contributions to advocacy organizations in Colorado.
(4) Closing Session and Door Prizes
Saturday, June 5 (12:10 to 12:30 p.m.)
We will ask our conference participants to review the high points of the
meeting, identify the areas of strongest interest and importance, and take
these suggestions to lay the path for NARMH's 37th annual meeting.