For the last 3 years, the Libraries for Health program has placed peer support specialists in nine rural libraries across Central Texas to help address community mental health needs, but it’s unclear whether this care will remain available after the program ends next June.
In communities like Jarrell, where rapid population growth has outpaced social and health services, a shortage of mental health providers makes it nearly impossible to access mental healthcare. One possible solution for rural communities like Jarrell is to supplement limited care with peer support, a model that uses people who have experienced mental health conditions or substance abuse disorders to provide emotional support, skills training and other services.
“Libraries were chosen because that’s the one thing you’re definitely going to find in a rural area,” said Ta’Kisha Moore, the Libraries for Health coordinator at ViaHope, a peer support training organization that has partnered with Central Texas grantmaking organization St. David’s Foundation and RAND, a research organization…