UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY: THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING “SUBSTANCE ABUSE” PROFESSIONALS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Many rural communities are actively pursuing technology as a resource for solving education, health care, and economic development issues. These communities are establishing a technology and telecommunication infrastructure that makes them appealing to individuals and companies from urban communities. But this has created a challenge and an opportunity for the mental health industry in general, and more specifically, “substance abuse” professionals. The opportunity for the “substance abuse” profession is to design and use new services using the exact same technologies that may precipitate the need for the services. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]

• Telemedicine
• Telemedicine networks
• Telehealth
• Internet resources
• Substance use
• Mental health

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gregory L. Smith

Gregory Smith has spent the last 10 years consulting and developing technology-based solutions to be used by rural communities to better health, education, and economic development opportunities. He is the President of Rural Health Futures, and is responsible for opening the first telecommunity center in Kansas. The Center provides telehealth and other telecommunity services for the western region of the United States. He recently joined the Computer Information Systems faculty at the University of Kansas, where he will continue to contribute to the development of telecommunications through outreach and extension.

Kathleen J. Kelly

Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D., is an associate professor of marketing at Colorado State University. Her primary research focus is in social marketing. She has funding from several federal agencies to develop social advertising campaigns for rural communities in the United States. Her interest in telecommunications is as a means of reaching rural target audiences in order to increase awareness of local problems related to substance use and violence.