秋葵视频

鈥淪ee a gap, fill a gap.鈥� That鈥檚 how Jeffrey Klibert, Ph.D., associate director of clinical training in 秋葵视频鈥檚 Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), described the inspiration behind a project designed to extend behavioral health services in rural areas.

Filling gaps is something Klibert said has always been a challenge in behavioral health care. This challenge became steeper in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淲hen COVID hit, we saw some really alarming rates of people seeking services, and there just weren鈥檛 enough providers to meet that need,鈥� Klibert said. 鈥淲e saw waitlists that were six months, eight months, sometimes a year long.鈥�

Waitlists of this length are a common occurrence in Georgia鈥檚 rural areas, where resources are scarce and reported health outcomes are among the worst in the state.

Klibert, along with colleagues Lindsey Stone, Ph.D., and Thresha Yancey, Ph.D., and students, is working to improve the situation across 14 rural counties in Georgia, thanks to the renewal of a research and training grant from the .

Stone and Yancey will supervise the trainees, while Klibert will oversee the entire program.

The grant enables quantitative and qualitative research to increase access to behavioral health care in rural areas, while also providing Georgia Southern鈥檚 fourth-year PsyD students with hands-on training through local care providers. The ultimate goal is to develop more efficient and effective models for interprofessional, team-based care in areas of the state where it is most needed.

鈥淓verybody sees the need. We just need the glue to link everybody together,鈥� Klibert said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what the program is trying to be. It鈥檚 trying to build those bridges to create a more comprehensive system of care.鈥�

Students will provide a range of services in collaboration with local care providers, including psychological assessments and therapy for individuals and families.

Alex Cudd, a fourth-year PsyD student who joined the program in August, calls the experience 鈥渋nvaluable鈥� and hopes to join the 94% of program alumni who currently provide care in rural settings.

鈥淚n just a few months, I鈥檝e learned so much about providing well-rounded care,鈥� Cudd said. 鈥淚 know I鈥檒l carry this training into my career.鈥�

, a resiliency- and recovery-based behavioral health agency serving Bulloch, Candler and Emanuel counties, is among the local providers partnering with Georgia Southern.

鈥淎ll the interns we鈥檝e had from Georgia Southern understand the concept of recovery, are trauma-informed and very effective at delivering services,鈥� said CPGA CEO David Crooke. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been mutually beneficial. We are helping them further their education, and they quickly become important members of our team due to the breadth and depth of their knowledge.鈥�

Klibert notes that the grant鈥檚 initial four-year term brought significant improvements in local healthcare networks and enhanced communication between providers, something he sees as an investment in lasting success.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing some exciting stuff, but at the end of the day, we are very aware of making sure what we鈥檙e doing sticks and that we have the resources to continue care after the grant ends,鈥� Klibert said.