Building partnerships with rural Arkansas faith communities to promote veterans' mental health: Lessons learned

摘要

To describe the development of a multisite program to partner rural clergy and academics in three Arkansas sites to improve access to formal mental health care for Veterans. To describe how a common goal and approach across sites can result in unique local programs when a participatory process is used. To assess aspects of the partnerships formed in this way, following Naylor's model. Many returning veterans with mental health needs fail to seek formal treatment for their problems. Veterans in rural areas of the South, in particular, may turn to clergy or faith communities for help. Clergy and clinicians need to cooperate to serve these veterans.A mental health-clergy partnership program could help clergy and clinicians cooperate to serve veterans. Significant partnerships were formed at each site. Partnerships launched programs to benefit veterans and families, although in some cases the focus on mental health was not emphasized. Programs and challenges to the partnership differed at each site.The goal of assisting veterans with mental health needs may have been a key to the success of the program in all the sites.