Shortage of mental health care providers in rural NE
Posted By: Veronica Ortega
vortega@klkntv.com
Mental health care experts say access to mental and behavioral health care in rural areas has been an ongoing problem in Nebraska for many years. This includes a lack of psychiatrists, psychologist, and nurses with the proper training.
They say part of the challenging is the negative stigma in seeking help in small towns.
"So sometimes there are barriers about people seeking help because they are afraid of being recognized or their a little embarrassed about it," says Dr. Howard Liu, Director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska.
In 2009 the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska or BHECN released a report that found 48 out the 93 counties in Nebraska don’t have a mental health provider.
State designated shortage areas in psychiatry and mental health near Lincoln include York, Jefferson, and Butler County.
So what is being done to solve this crisis?
BHECN is invested in recruitment of physicians and a new mentoring program.
"We’re really trying to invest in growing that group from those rural communities and urban undeserved communities to go back and practice where they are from," says Dr. Howard Liu.
They say another solution is using technology to provide health care like Telehealth which delivers healthcare visits using the internet in a secured platform.
Dr. Liu says another problem is nearly half of the mental care providers in the state are retiring soon, but hope is not lost and he wants you to know that the field is very reward.
