One of the themes that kept reoccurring in the classes this week were the challenges that people living in rural communities faced when trying to access social services and assistance, finding employment, or dealing with transportation issues. Many rural communities do not have public transportation so a vehicle is almost always necessary if someone is trying to find work outside the community. Also, my understanding is that certain social assistance programs, such as food stamps, require someone to be willing or able to work at least twenty hours a week at a job. I know in my community of less than 2500 (per census) most people here earn their wages by working several odd jobs since this is the most reliable source of income for most people in town and a typical work load can vary from week to week or by season. Some people also choose to work to barter for housing or food. I think the different lifestyle of some people in rural communities in comparison to urban ones should be considered by social services. It is not always practical for an individual to seek employment outside of the area just because it may be more steady.
Receiving mental health services and health care services in geographically isolated areas can also be a challenge for some people and may limit their use of these services. I recently discovered something called Telehealth which allows patients to connect with providers by video conferencing, telephone, or home-monitoring devices. I could not find information on its availability through public healthcare systems, such as Medicaid or Medicare, but hope this may be incorporated more in the future so people in rural areas can have more access to health care. I think another more accessible option would be support for more traditional healers, midwives, birth doulas, etc. within health care systems since these people may be within the community of the rural resident and may be more trusted by and accessible to a rural client since they are within their personal network.
I understand what you are saying. I know that in rural places people don't get the same services and it is hard to see. Especially in places were technology is not part of their lives or when they are not aware of the services that they can get. About the food stamps, I heard that if you don't work 20 hrs a week that you can complete the remaining hours by doing community service. But I don't know if that true.
ReplyDeleteI echo your concerns living in rural areas. I think what happens is that social service agencies are mandated by law to complete certain aspects for families. I think it is a great point about the telepsych or tele medical, we do have the service available but it did not cross my mind while completing this assignment. Great job thinking outside the box and recognizing the down falls in rural communities in regards to the need of social services.
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