Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Co-Director Dennis Mohatt recently participated in the International Initiative on Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL), which hosted representatives from five rural counties in Texas to learn about rural community development and well-being.
Participants discussed the value of listening to one’s community, redefining inclusivity, and building relationships to accomplish goals. For example, representatives from one Texas community repeatedly visited a site which served meals to homeless persons. This engagement helps develop networks in which shared leadership can emerge, empowering groups that are often voiceless.
Future IIMHL meetings will host similar communities from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other areas of the United States, with the goal of sharing best practices among nations that promote healthy, resilient, and inclusive rural communities.
