Georgia Southern psychology faculty receives $195,000 federal grant renewal to expand behavioral health services in rural Georgia
“See a gap, fill a gap.” That’s how Jeffrey Klibert, Ph.D., associate director of clinical training in Georgia Southern University’s 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.
“When COVID hit, we saw some really alarming rates of people seeking services, and there just weren’t enough providers to meet that need,” Klibert said. “We saw waitlists that were six months, eight months, sometimes a year long.”
Waitlists of this length are a common occurrence in Georgia’s 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 Health Resources and Services Administration.
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’s 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.
“Everybody sees the need. We just need the glue to link everybody together,” Klibert said. “That’s what the program is trying to be. It’s trying to build those bridges to create a more comprehensive system of care.”
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 “invaluable” and hopes to join the 94% of program alumni who currently provide care in rural settings.
“In just a few months, I’ve learned so much about providing well-rounded care,” Cudd said. “I know I’ll carry this training into my career.”
CarePartners of Georgia (CPGA), a resiliency- and recovery-based behavioral health agency serving Bulloch, Candler and Emanuel counties, is among the local providers partnering with Georgia Southern.
“All the interns we’ve had from Georgia Southern understand the concept of recovery, are trauma-informed and very effective at delivering services,” said CPGA CEO David Crooke. “It’s 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.”
Klibert notes that the grant’s 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.
“We’re doing some exciting stuff, but at the end of the day, we are very aware of making sure what we’re doing sticks and that we have the resources to continue care after the grant ends,” Klibert said.