Access to mental health services has always been a struggle for children living in remote areas. Healthcare in general has been an issue for those living in rural America, but telehealth has helped bridge those gaps including access to mental/behavioral health. Many are finding that school-based telehealth is a great avenue to further bridge those gaps. According to the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, “school-based telehealth is an efficient and effective way to overcome barriers to care and improve health equity for children in rural and underserved communities.”
Mississippi recently developed and implemented Mississippi Connects, “a comprehensive digital learning program providing computers and teaching and learning support to every public school student in the state.” Students have access to “a centrally located health care provider,” utilizing video conferencing and peripherals if needed. The provider can manage acute conditions as well as more chronic conditions, and through this service, mental and behavioral health services are offered to children who might otherwise have to travel many miles and several hours to access this type of care.
Our friends at the Heartland Telehealth Resource Center recently interviewed Molly Ticknor, Executive Director of Show Me School-Based Health Alliance in Missouri, who shared her thoughts on school-based telehealth. “Telehealth is unique,” Ticknor says, “because it goes across not only physical telehealth, but it also goes across behavioral health, and now even into dental. There are tele-dental programs that are popping up throughout the state of Missouri and nationally.” You can listen to the full interview HERE.
School-based telehealth is an effective and efficient way to meet many different health care needs for children and their families. To be successful, the Journal for Nurse Practitioners recommends dedicated planning for development and implementation. “Applying a standardized framework to program development may contribute to reaching established goals and outcomes. Developing a strong collaborative interprofessional network focused on achieving the same SBTH goals may not only improve patient outcomes but also contribute to improved health equity for children.”
Below are some resources you might find useful: a webinar on telebehavioral health in rural school districts and a guidebook for school staff on school-based telehealth.
(Webinar) Tele-behavioral health programs in rural school districts
(Guidebook) for school staff who administer school-based telehealth
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Let’s have that conversation and continue our dialogue offline.
