The Special Concerns of Rural Communities Adapted from Natural Rural Behavioral Health Center (NRBHC) In Production with University of Florida Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. August 2011.

Obstacles to Disaster Response and Recovery in Rural Communities Reduced response infrastructure Fewer mental health resources Poorer economic conditions and economic reliance on “open-field” operations and local businesses Rural values of independence and self-reliance Communities may feel neglected

Reduced Infrastructure Fewer health care professionals and limited hospital capacity (could be further stretched if they do not report to work during a disaster) Lack of specialized training, money for training (physicians and response personnel)

Reduced Infrastructure Long response times to remote areas Emergency personnel may be volunteers A single HAZMAT team may be shared by a large geographic area

Fewer Mental Health Resources Barriers to mental health care in rural areas Fewer providers/specialty providers-few rural and frontier counties have specialty mental health providers (e.g. child psychiatry) Distance to providers Insurance coverage Stigma for seeking help

Poorer Economic Conditions Destruction of crops, livestock, or land can mean the end of a family business Rural economic structure highly interlocked, reliance on natural resources Damage to open-field operations leads to trickle- down effect in local economy Higher poverty rates

Rural Values Some residents may be reluctant to accept assistance People fear being stigmatized if they seek help for stress Lack of trust in outside agencies Need make use of local resources (Extension, community groups, CAP Agencies, faith based organizations, etc.)

Communities Feeling Neglected If disaster effects both rural and urban areas, rural communities may feel overlooked and perceive that aid is directed towards urban areas Regardless of whether this is true, residents may feel increased frustration from this perception of being overlooked

Assisting Rural Communities in Recovery Coordinate and use local resources Irene Relief Aid and Recovery: info/irene_recovery.aspx Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vermont Recovery Flood Resource Guide: %20FEMA%20IA.pdf

Coordinate and Use Local Resources Natural Resources Conservation Service: Vermont Vermont Agency of Agriculture VT Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)

Enlist Help of Cooperative Extension Cooperative Extension is a key resource in rural counties Education and preparedness efforts Response that is sensitive to local issues To find your local UVM Extension office go the following link: Extension Education Network

Cooperative Extension Extension can also play an important role in training other community volunteers “Train the Trainer” models Community & Leadership Development

Respect Rural Value System Respect desire for self-reliance Consider local customs when responding Decrease stigma of help-seeking Solicit opinions of residents when developing response plans

Contact Building Capacity: For more information about UVM Extension’s Building Capacity programs, visit our website: