Sourcewell Launches Pilot Program Focused on Rural Youth Mental Health
STAPLES, MN — Sourcewell, a service cooperative based in Staples, Minnesota, has announced the launch of AscendRural, a new pilot program aimed at enhancing the mental well-being of young people in rural areas. The program, announced online on March 5th, seeks to address the significant mental health disparities that disproportionately affect rural communities.
AscendRural, Sourcewell’s new pilot program, aims to improve mental health outcomes in youth.
“We can’t guarantee the success of a pilot, and it’s important that regardless of outcomes, our partners have a positive experience,” stated Melissa Kjolsing, AscendRural Managing Director, emphasizing a prevention-focused approach.
According to a report from Heartland Forward, a think tank, the issue is worsening: “The state of mental health … is in decline yet the systemic crisis is impacting rural communities quite differently than urban populations. Between 2003 and 2022 alone, mental health in rural counties worsened by a staggering 55.5%.”
AscendRural seeks to connect local leaders with innovative technology solutions to help improve the well-being and resilience of young people in these communities.
“AscendRural will function a little bit differently than the programs that you’re used to seeing from us in the central Minnesota region that we do with school districts, local government, nonprofits,” explained Alie McInerney, director of state and regional marketing and communications.
Kjolsing added, “We approached this first pilot experience meeting young people where they are – they’re on devices, they use the internet – that’s a part of their life. And so one solution is, if they exist within that space, how they can access support.”
In alignment with this goal, Sourcewell has sourced technologies designed to improve youth resilience. Two key technologies will be piloted: Supportiv and Psyche Care.
Supportiv offers real-time digital peer-to-peer support intended to address mental, emotional, and social struggles, claiming a cost-effective model compared to traditional clinical interventions. “It is a real-time anonymous, digital peer-to-peer support platform. It facilitates small group chats, addressing mental, emotional and social challenges, while providing valuable resources for youth,” said Kjolsing.
“People input a couple of words and then they are assigned to a group that is facilitated by a human that has a social work background, or is training in social work, to provide support, validation, resources as to what the individual is experiencing.”
Psyche Care is the second technology Sourcewell will pilot. This digital platform is designed for caregivers, with a family peer support specialist, and provides tools for building resilience in children.
“When we’re moving forward or testing or trying some of these new technologies, we have rural leaders at the table to help influence and guide the way in which we do these things, and providing credible feedback to help make adjustments to meet the needs of our community.”
The program is starting in Sourcewell’s five-county central Minnesota service region (Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena), bringing together local leaders and technology partners to pilot solutions potentially scalable nationwide.
“Most systems and economic models are incentivized to serve the largest number of people possible,” Kjolsing explained. “This approach often overlooks rural communities, leading to new products and services that are not designed with them in mind.”
The pilot programs, Supportiv and Psyche Care, will run for approximately 90 days starting March 10th. Findings and results will be presented at a symposium in August.
“Each community organization will share the technology resource(s) in their own way,” Kjolsing said after the AscendRural news conference. “The community partners will decide how they promote the resource to youth and caregivers served by their organizations.”
Five community organizations and two technology partners convened in February in Staples to discuss the needs of rural families and youth, identify barriers to access, and explore collaborative approaches to find solutions.
“Rural communities face unique challenges, yes, but we are also a place of unmatched collaboration – where leaders are skilled at pooling resources, making a plan for collective action and digging in to bring work to life,” said Kjolsing.
Shane Riffle, CEO of Brainerd Family YMCA, is among the local leaders participating as a pilot partner.
“Access to quality care is critical,” Riffle stated. “We need to reach people where they are, using new tools if possible. It’s important to help the most vulnerable in our community, those with the least access.”
Community Partners
- CentraCare
- Clara’s House
- Selander Coaching and Consulting
- The Shop in Brainerd
- Smiles for Jake
- Brainerd Family YMCA
