2025 | Flash Funding | Enhancing Access to Mental Health Care Among Rural Older Adults

FLASH FUNDED PROJECT | Whole Health Consortium

Enhancing Access to Mental Health Care Among Rural Older Adults

TEAM:

• Matthew C. Fullen – Virginia Tech
• Alexis J. Isaac – Virginia Tech
• Trevor Parker – LewisGale (Montgomery)
• David Kniola – Virginia Tech
• Heather Mack – Virginia Tech
• Jordan Westcott – University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Older adults in rural communities often face significant barriers to accessing mental health care, relying instead on outpatient medical providers who may lack the resources to offer adequate support or referrals. Recent changes to Medicare policy have expanded the provider pool by allowing licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to participate, yet little is known about how these new providers are integrating with existing medical systems in rural areas.

This project seeks to assess the current state of interdisciplinary collaboration between outpatient medical providers and mental health professionals in Southwest Virginia. The team will develop and distribute pilot surveys to both groups, analyze the results, and convene a focus group to explore opportunities and barriers to integrated care. The findings will inform the creation of a “living laboratory” aimed at improving mental health integration in primary care settings. Rooted in the Whole Health framework, this initiative emphasizes equity, collaboration, and the holistic well-being of older adults in underserved communities.