Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
ORCID
https://orcid.org/verify-email/OVlpVk5ldHNUY3g3R2U5THk0bzQ1ZGluaDZQbmdzb0JLckhPQTJleStIbzVWdWV4R3prNmVMMkxnR1pQSjV3ZA?lang=en
Date of Graduation
5-11-2023
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Second Advisor
A. Renee Staton
Third Advisor
Kelly Atwood
Abstract
The United States is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, following the COVID-19 Pandemic. While the United States continues to experience stigma around mental health, the impacts of the mental health and substance use crisis are even more prominent within rural communities. Challenges include lack of funding, transportation, availability, et cetera regarding the access and availability of services. Virginia, being comprised of mostly rural areas increases the likelihood that counselors may encounter a client from this background or directly serve people of these communities. Counselors are challenged to increase accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and availability to decrease barriers to treatment. As a result, this could lead to better client outcomes, coinciding with the counselor's responsibility to first, do no harm. This project examines the mental health and substance use crisis in the United States and Virginia, focusing on rural populations and counselor implications.