Upcoming Events
Interconnected: Mental Healthcare Access for Minnesota’s Communities of Color
Thursday, July 16
12:00–1:30 p.m.
Free virtual event
Mental healthcare access remains a challenge across Minnesota, particularly for communities of color. Provider shortages, cultural stigma, language barriers, and limited access to culturally responsive care all contribute to gaps in care that affect individuals, families, and communities.
Inspired by the Center’s report, Barriers & Bridges: Access to Mental Healthcare for Rural Minnesota’s Communities of Color, this conversation will bring together researchers, community leaders, advocates, and mental health professionals to discuss the challenges and highlight promising solutions that can improve access and outcomes across both rural and urban Minnesota.
Speakers:
Mitra Milani Engan, Consultant and Researcher
Pablo Obregon, Director of Community Growth, City of Willmar
Katya Zepeda, Director of Advocacy, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Veronica Rivera, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist
Moderated by Kate Raddatz, McClung PR
Whether you work in healthcare, public policy, local government, nonprofit leadership, or simply care about improving mental health access in Minnesota, we hope you’ll join us for this timely conversation.
Previous Events
Thursday, March 13 at 12:00PM (noon)
Recent data have revealed an interesting shift in Minnesota’s demographic trends: rural counties are experiencing population growth due to in-migration, while urban areas face resident losses. This development marks a departure from patterns observed over the past few decades.
Join us for our next “Interconnected” conversation co-hosted by the Center for Rural Policy & Development and the Citizens League as we explore:
Factors Driving Rural In-Migration: Explore the reasons behind the renewed appeal of rural Minnesota, including lifestyle changes, housing affordability, and economic opportunities.
Implications for Urban and Rural Communities: Understand the challenges and opportunities these migration patterns present for both urban centers and rural towns.
Policy and Planning Considerations: Discuss how local governments and organizations can adapt to and support these evolving demographic trends.
View recording here.
Presentation by Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher, Center for Rural Policy & Development.
Panelists:
Eric Guthrie – Senior Demographer, Minnesota State Demographic Center
Allison Liuzzi – Project Director, Minnesota Compass
Erik Osberg – Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator, Otter Tail County
Ben Winchester – Extension Professor, University of Minnesota – Department of Community Development
Moderated by Kate Raddatz, McClung PR
What’s going on in Greater Minnesota: A special live webinar with the Center for Rural Policy and Development
February 6, 2025
Greater Minnesota’s communities are changing, and this can present new challenges and opportunities. Join us virtually on Thursday, February 6, as we explore important topics including the rural workforce and population shifts, mental health, and elder care.
The State of Rural: Updated population estimates show that rural Minnesota counties again experienced a population increase from in-migration. CRPD will explain these shifts and the impacts they are having on counties across Greater Minnesota.
Mental health: Families in rural communities face a number of headwinds when it comes to accessing mental health services for their children. We’ll discuss mental health issues facing Greater Minnesota.
Elder care in Greater MN: Many Minnesotans will need to use some form of professional long-term care, either through agencies providing home health care or by taking up residence in an assisted living or nursing facility. Workforce shortages and changes in consumer preference are impacting long-term care across the state. We’ll take a look at what’s happening.
December 11, 2024
February 19, 2021
January 21, 2021
October 13, 2020
July 15th, 2020
Interconnected: Rural-Urban Conversations
About the Series
Minnesotans often use the phrase “rural-urban divide” when talking about the values and priorities that seem to differ across our state. But in reality, our challenges and opportunities are truly interconnected – though the solutions we design may look a bit different in Minneapolis compared to Mankato, or in Brainerd vs. Bloomington. This four-event series – hosted by the Center for Rural Policy and Development and the Citizens League – will bridge the divide between urban & rural Minnesota by exploring our shared challenges and how to design a future that works for our unique communities. Each event will begin with a look at CRPD’s latest research, followed by a panel discussion with speakers from urban and rural areas.
Previous discussions
Thursday, June 3, 2021: Examining Healthcare Access – click here to view the discussion.
Thursday, April 29, 2021: Minnesota’s Workforce – Help Wanted, Everywhere – click here to view the discussion.
Monday, March 29, 2021: Childcare – A Complex Crisis – click here to view the discussion.
Future topics!
