One such program established in rural Iowa involved 370 volunteers. These volunteers received 15 hours of training in identification of feelings, signs of depression and suicide, listening skills, resource identification, and strategies to encourage people to use resources. The effectiveness of the use of this peer helper program has been firmly established. A very serious concern of the rural CMHC manager is the availability of mental health professionals. The rural CMHC manager is concerned with the recruitment and retention of needed mental health professionals.
Creativity is an important skill for the rural CMHC manager.
Creativity is needed so that the recruitment and retention of rural mental health personnel can be augmented. The rural CMHC could help in paying back student loans and providing scholarships as well as economical financing for housing and vehicles for rural mental health professionals. Another concern for the rural CMHC manager is the many stressors a rural mental health professional faces. The perceptive rural CMHC manager will attempt to establish ways of decreasing these stressors for rural mental health professionals. This hotline could serve to decrease stress among mental health professionals by helping them to resolve many of their clients' mental health issues before they become too acute.