NEED DISCUSSION IN 10 HOURS or LESS

PLEASE UPLOAD EACH DISCUSSION SEPARATELY!!!!

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to-face

class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. List additional

innovative resources intended to help bridge the gap for rural communities.

Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to

validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 1 (Kayla)

“According to government sources, approximately 46 million people live in rural communities, equaling about 15 percent of the U.S. population (Kusmin, 2016). “

The rural community that I have chosen to discuss is my own. I live in a town of 1100 people. The nearest chain grocery store is 35-45 miles away. If you want to go to a “big city” you are looking at least an hour and a half drive. Needless to say, the mental health resources in this rural community is slim to none. I work as a mental health professional in an adjoining county, which is also still rural. I am the only one within an hour of these children and cover 4 school districts. This is very difficult to accommodate all their needs.

Many of these children need to be seen weekly, but with over 40 kids on my caseload that makes it almost impossible, since I have 40 miles between some of the schools. The lack of resources out here really makes it difficult for the children to get the help they need. Many parents struggle with transportation to travel 20 miles to my office for doctor appointments. In some cases, kids drop off due to the parents being unwilling to bring them into the office when necessary. There is no public transportation in this area, so that is not an option.

School districts are in over their heads with substance and alcohol abuse, but again no resources other than me to assist them. Not to mention the self-harm and suicidal threats. These small communities need help in providing for these children in need. I am not sure what else we can do out here to provide resources, when there are non- available. I would love any advice that anyone must give on how to bridge this gap between the resources in the city, to lack of resources in these small rural areas.

In addition to provider shortages, the stigma associated with mental illness can be a difficult barrier to overcome in rural communities. For example, in some rural communities, speaking to an individual about mental health counseling may be perceived as an insult (Sartore et al., 2008)

References:

El-Amin, T., Anderson, B. L., Leider, J. P., Satorius, J., & Knudson, A. (2018). Enhancing mental health literacy in rural America: Growth of Mental Health First Aid program in

rural communities in the United States from 2008–2016.. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 42(1), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000088

Martin, M. E. (2018). Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice settings (4th ed.). Pearson.

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to-face

class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. List additional

innovative resources intended to help bridge the gap for rural communities.

Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to

validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 2 (Keneshia)

I chose a small town in Georgia known as Sparta, Ga, or Hancock County, a rural area. The county lacks the necessary resources to flourish and has been this way for decades. Its current population is 1,322 based on the census count among voters reported (Bureau, 2022). Hancock County was originally part of Greene and Washington Counties and was named for John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence (Media, 2023). Hancock County needs more human service resources such as health care, public transportation, social services, jobs, and stores.

A rural area or countryside is a geographic area located outside towns and cities. Cities, towns, and suburbs are classified as Urban areas. Typically, urban areas have high population densities, and rural regions have low populational densities (Admin, 2022).

This county needs access to adequate healthcare due to needing a community hospital, urgent care, or a doctor's office for those who cannot travel to many other surrounding counties to seek care. We have a local health department, but their hours are limited/ selective for those receiving WIC. Due to the pandemic still being in effect, the local Division of Family and Children Services is open to the public on certain days. However, it still affects the people in our town because we need an office locally; cabs or public transportation does run between the different cities. However, it is only elderly individuals who receive Medicare which has doctor appointments, so their needs are still unmet.

References

Admin. (2022, November 29). Difference between urban and rural in India & their comparisons. BYJUS. https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/difference-between-urban-and- rural/#:~:text=Rural%20area%20or%20countryside%20is,areas%20have%20low%20po pulation%20density.

Bureau, U. C. (2022, March 10). Census Bureau releases estimates of Undercount and overcount in the 2020 census. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press- releases/2022/2020-census-estimates-of-undercount-and-overcount.html

Media, G. (2023, April 4). Hancock County Official Website. Hancock County, GA. https://hancockcountyga.gov/

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to-face

class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. List additional

innovative resources intended to help bridge the gap for rural communities.

Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to

validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 3 (Lindan)

Rural Human Service professionals are extremely important in rural communities in the United States. "Rural populations tend to have worse health outcomes than those living in urban communities, and as referenced earlier, many people in rural communities experience a higher-than-average rate of chronic diseases, many of which are directly related to obesity and other lifestyle choices—eating unhealthy foods, a lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption" (Martin, 2018, p.342).

For this discussion post, I will specifically be focusing on a small town in Alabama, Selma. Selma has a population of 17,625 people and a poverty rate of 29.4%. Most of the population is African American. (U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts, n.d., p.1). One of the reasons why Selma has a high poverty rate is because of the decline in the economy. Rather than focusing on agriculture, the community is relying on tourism for income. To help this community, the available jobs need to increase. This will help to increase the employment rate and bring revenue to the community. To work with a rural population, one must understand the challenges that most individuals are facing. Human service professionals can be more effective if they involve themselves fully in the community rather than being an outsider. Do you have any ideas on how to decrease the gap between the rural communities?

References

Martin, M. E. (2018). Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice settings (4th ed.). Pearson.

U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: Selma City, Alabama. (n.d.). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/selmacityalabama

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face-to-face

class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. List additional

innovative resources intended to help bridge the gap for rural communities.

Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to

validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 3 (Dawn)

The rural community selected for the Week 6 discussion post is the “Alabama Black Belt,” before I dive into the community need of this region I must give context as to the name of this geographical location in America’s Southeast, Per the article name ‘The Black Belt’ is defined as “An extremely fertile farming region in central and west-central Alabama, lying within the Coastal Plain, consisting of lands in 16 counties. Primarily named for the rich, dark soil, some contend it was so named because of a heavy concentration of African-Americans found in the area (Katsinas,2023).

According to the article Alabama Black Belt’s struggle with poverty “chicken and egg Alabama’ Black belt needs a reconstruction due to lack of economic development, current day segregation and consistent poverty which has left the area without socio- economic progress. The issue of segregation is a bell ringer as it is a tell-tale sign that acceptance and/or tolerance for the different prevent progression and/or collaboration to bring improvement to Alabama’s Black Belt. Though urban cities have issues with crime and/or poverty it seems that basic resources are intentionally redirected from the Black Belt.

In working to improve quality of life issues I would first need to know the stance of local and state officials (1) Are they open to partnering with human service agencies to assist this population, (2) Is there funding and/or grants for education (3) What common ground can be built upon to bring investment and economic equity to the area (3) Talk to the people and survey the need Classmates please offer analysis and offer suggestions.

References

Archibald, R. A. |. (2022, March 31) Alabama Black Belt’s struggle with poverty “chicken and egg

Katsinas, S. G., Keeney, N. E., Jacobs, E., & Whann, H. (2023). Defining Alabama’s Black Belt region.