title: Building partnerships with rural Arkansas faith communities to promote veterans' mental health: lessons learned.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Mental Health-Clergy Partnership Program established partnerships between institutional (Department of Veterans' Affairs [VA] chaplains, mental health providers) and community (local clergy, parishioners) groups to develop programs to assist rural veterans with mental health needs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Describe the development, challenges, and lessons learned from the Mental Health-Clergy Partnership Program in three Arkansas towns between 2009 and 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Researchers identified three rural Arkansas sites, established local advisory boards, and obtained quantitative ratings of the extent to which partnerships were participatory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Partnerships seemed to become more participatory over time. Each site developed distinctive programs with variation in fidelity to original program goals. Challenges included developing trust and maintaining racial diversity in local program leadership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Academics can partner with local faith communities to create unique programs that benefit the mental health of returning veterans. Research is needed to determine the effectiveness of community based programs, especially relative to typical "top-down" outreach approaches.
authors.forename: Greer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Tiffany F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Keneshia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cheney
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pyne
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reaves
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Caleb
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Bonita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Cliff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jegley
authors.forename: Bridgette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: LaNissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: Sterling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Claypoole
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richison
mesh_terms: D001131:Arkansas; D002977:Clergy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D058014:Veterans Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D000078329:Workforce