Address

106 W. Pierce Street PO Box 8071
Elburn, IL 60119

Website

www.ruralpsych.org

Description

No mental health services exist in 55% of US counties. All of those counties are rural. Mangis and Preussler witnessed many rural students entering graduate programs in psychology with a dream of serving rural communities, but most graduated to settle in the suburbs. Attempting to reverse this trend, in August 2000, Don and Michael determined to create a counseling center where students could be trained to serve rural communities. In the rural village of Elburn, Illinois they met Bruce Conley, director of Conley Outreach Community Services. Together, they established Heartland Counseling. Since then rural clients have been served and graduate students have been trained in rural models of community mental health. Now students who want to serve rural areas have a chance to learn the unique skills and values of rural community mental health.