Risk factors that explain the higher numbers for rural families do not seem to be that different from risk factors in urban settings, according to Walsh and Mattingly ( 2012). Additionally, the child abuse and neglect rate per 1000 children was 31.5 compared to Indiana’s average of 17.2 (Indiana Youth Institute 2020). In 2018, Martin County’s ratio of population to mental health service providers was 5110:1, while Indiana’s average was 670:1. The self-reported data of Martin County’s youth reflects the mental health trends of the county’s larger population in comparison to the rest of Indiana. These children then grow up and continue to stay in Martin County, unable to receive the services they desperately want and need. Fifty-three percent of Martin County youth have watched others be bullied, 36% do not share their personal struggles with others, 29% report high levels of anxiety, 57% have been physically or verbally abused, and 40% have had suicidal thoughts (Get Schooled Tour 2018). Gaps in social services tend to start young with Martin County residents, as the youth exhibit mental health concerns. Additionally, the community mental health center (CMHC) for the region has only three providers, all of whom work part-time in Martin County. Mental health services-for both wellness and illness-especially lag in this county which lacks a hospital within its borders. With its quaint population of 10,000, residents express love for their rural home however, with only 30 people per square mile, Martin County residents live without many necessary social services to meet their basic needs. The county’s rich woodlands and lush riverbed leave visitors refreshed in contrast to Indiana’s more common terrain of flat corn fields.

Martin County, IN rests in the picturesque valley of the White River in the craggy uplands of Southern Indiana. As a result of this analysis, the authors comprised a list of feasible and sustainable recommendations for Martin County and similar rural areas that incorporate the strengths in the community, address their identified challenges, and thus created a model for mental health service provision that can be replicated in other rural communities with similar strengths as well as similar challenges. Second, the authors sought to understand Martin County residents’ opinions about church/mental health partnerships. Using a strengths-based approach (Saleeby in The strengths perspective in social work practice, Longman, White Plains, NY, 1992), the authors first sought to understand Martin County residents’ current experiences with mental health services. The goal of the study was to propose community-specific solutions to overcoming the barriers. Due to the significant need for mental health services in rural Martin County, IN and lack of providers, this study examined the current strengths of the community as well as the barriers preventing mental health service delivery.

Contemporary rural social work journal