President's Message January 2011
-Rick Peterson
As we begin the new year, on behalf of the National Association for Rural Mental
Health, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of the
association and your work on behalf of rural and frontier people. I would
like to report that despite tough economic times our membership has increased
and we are in good shape financially. In this my final year as your President I
am looking forward to working with the Board and our membership to further
NARMH’s mission of Linking Voices to Promote Rural Mental Health.
Our new year starts with our NARMH Winter Board Meeting. The NARMH Board will
gather in Washington D.C., January 24-26, to conduct our annual Winter Board
meeting. Part of our agenda will be to educate Congress and the Senate
members and their Aids as to issues that are important to the rural mental
health community. This year's legislative agenda will focus on several key
issues that Representatives and Congress should be made aware of as the new
congress opens including: Medicare reimbursement, healthcare workforce, rural
veterans and previsions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that
impact rural. There are many provisions of the legislation that enhance
parity for mental health and addiction services, expansion of Medicaid and
insurance opportunities for individuals with mental illnesses and substance
abuse. In addition, items which will need to be watched over the next year are
the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act interim final regulations and
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementation.
Gains were made under both of these Acts to improve access, availability,
acceptability of mental health and substance abuse services in rural and
frontier areas. A key to maintain these gains is an ongoing engagement
with members of Congress and other policy makers. I encourage you to get to know
your members of Congress and take the opportunity to inform them about issues
that are impacting you as providers and administrators of rural mental health
programs. NARMH will continue to monitor how the changes play out and be
ready to engage providers, researchers and policy makers to fulfill the promise
of recovery for all.
NARMH Board of Directors Election Announcement
Interested in leadership opportunities? Then consider running for the
NARMH Board of Directors. NARMH is currently soliciting committed
individuals to run for the Board of Directors. Terms of office are for three
years. Becoming a board member for NARMH gives you the opportunity to become
involved in a national organization whose purpose is to proactively support
initiatives that will strengthen the voices of rural consumers and their
families and to develop and mentor the next generation of rural mental health
leaders, practitioners and researchers If you have any questions about the
positions, the commitment or time required to serve in this capacity, please
contact Linda Werlein, President-Elect, at 830.258.5419 or call the NARMH office
at 320.202.1820. Requirements for the Board can also be found on our
website at
http://www.narmh.org/aboutUs/boardInfo.aspx or under the solicitation notice
on the home page. The deadline to submit an application is April 15, 2011.
I hope you will consider serving.
NARMH 2011 Annual Conference
Plans are in full swing for NARMH’s 2011 Conference to be held in Dubuque, Iowa,
June 22-25. This year NARMH and AgriWellness are teaming up to jointly
sponsor the Navigating the Currents of Change Rural Mental Health Conference.
NARMH has been at the center of efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness
of mental health care for rural America as well as advocate for ways to improve
access, availability, and acceptability of mental health and substance abuse
services in rural and frontier areas. Similarly, AgriWellness' focus is on
promoting accessible behavioral health services for underserved and at-risk
populations affected by rural crisis in agricultural communities. In
joining together, NARMH and AgriWellness can better meet both organizational
goals to improved mental health outcomes for rural populations. The conference
committee is still accepting proposals for the conference. Please plan to
join us for an outstanding conference in Dubuque, Iowa.