Behavioral Health

North Dakota faces a serious lack of behavioral health services and professionals. Stigma and privacy concerns associated with mental health issues in rural areas may mean that many people do not seek out the few services available. The Center for Rural Health works to offset behavioral health disparities by:

• Supporting rural health facilities as they work to provide behavioral health services.
• Addressing the lack of culturally competent behavioral health professionals in tribal communities.
• Sharing behavioral health research, data, and best practices.
• Utilizing relevant state, tribal, and local data to guide North Dakota's substance abuse prevention planning, programming, and evaluation.

Key Contact

Jacque Gray, PhD - Associate Director

Most Recent Publications

• Promoting Positive Mental Health in Rural Schools
  This resource from the Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center aims to promote positive mental health in rural schools.
  Author(s): Heitkamp, T., Nielsen, S., Schroeder, S.
  Date: August 2019
  Type: Other
• Changing Times
  The Center for Rural Health is involved in 14 projects related to behavioral health.
  Author(s): Haugen, B.
  Publication: Focus on Rural Health
  Date: June 2019
  Type: Article
• Measuring Stigma around Mental Illness in North Dakota
  Researchers collected data in North Dakota utilizing a nationally validated instrument for measuring stigma. This brief presents the results of the survey and implications for communities.
  Author(s): Schroeder, S., Heitkamp, T., Tan, C.M.
  Date: March 2019
  Type: Other
• Saving Lives: North Dakota's Peer Support Specialist Naloxone Training Program Makes an Impact
  Peer support specialists are trained to use their experiences in recovery to help others.
  Author(s): Haugen, B.
  Publication: Focus on Rural Health
  Date: September 2018
  Type: Article
• Impact and Likelihood of Behavioral Health Workforce Interventions
  This report presents the results of a survey assessing the impact and likelihood of several behavioral health workforce interventions proposed for North Dakota.
  Author(s): Schroeder, S., Vanderzanden, K.
  Date: April 2018
  Type: Report

Most Recent Presentations

• Measuring Social Stigma in North Dakota around Mental Health Disorders
  Presented by Schroeder, S. on Jun 11, 2019 at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, Minot, North Dakota
• Rural OUD Programs, Policies, Needs & Recommendations in Rural North Dakota: March 2019
  Presented by Schroeder, S., Quinn, R., Bauman, S., Dickson, L. on Mar 25, 2019 at the consortium meeting, draft presentation
• Behavioral Health Workforce Implementation Plan
  Presented by Quinn, R. on Sep 12, 2018 at the Interim Health Services Committee, Bismarck, North Dakota
• Findings from the North Dakota State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (Opioid STR)
  Presented by Peterson, M., Dulitz, M., Dickson, L. on Jun 13, 2018 at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Solutions in North Dakota: Improving Access to Care
  Presented by Schroeder, S., Bender, N., Quinn, R. on Jun 13, 2018 at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, Grand Forks, North Dakota