Rural Utahs are feeling the impact of the natural resource depletion on their economy, yet there is hope for their communities through wellness programs. The economic benefits of wellness programs for rural Utah is significant to its growth. How natural resource dependency is affecting rural communities needs to be addressed.
Job losses in rural Utah
Rural Utah is experiencing an economic crisis that has devastated rural counties. The state is making an effort to reverse that trend, aiming to create 25,000 jobs off the Wasatch Front. Gov. Gary Herbert has described this effort as unprecedented, but his efforts may not be enough to halt the trend.
One rural Utah company that is working to fight job losses is Accelerant. The company is creating jobs by establishing new satellite locations and hiring people in rural areas.They hired 40 people in Carbon County, providing them with computers, two monitors, phones, and $50 a month toward home internet connections. The company recruits locals and trains them on the job. It currently operates in a government building, but plans to move to a former J.C. Penney building, which has more than 30,000 square feet.
Another way rural communities can fight off job losses is by improving access to health care. Rural communities often lack access to hospitals, which means there are fewer jobs available to fill those positions. Furthermore, the lack of healthcare access can discourage businesses from expanding in these regions. But it can also make rural residents healthier.
Job opportunities in wellness programs
If you have a passion for helping people live healthier and safer lives, you may want to consider a career in wellness programs for rural Utah. These programs can provide you with valuable hands-on training and opportunities to network. These organizations also provide health care, mental health support, disaster relief, and public safety programs to underserved communities.
Rural communities in the United States are suffering from a physician shortage, with only three percent of physicians aged 35 and younger practicing in rural Utah counties. With an increased need for doctors, telehealth programs are helping to expand health care access to rural communities. As such, these programs provide a unique opportunity for young doctors to serve these communities and support health care providers who work in these communities.
Impact of natural resource dependency on rural communities
The impact of natural resource dependency on rural communities is a complicated issue, and it is largely based on the question of how rural areas benefit economically from resource extraction. Rural communities are often dependent on fossil fuels, and this dependence does not increase their income. However, these communities are less likely to have high incomes, and the poverty rate among those who are dependent on natural resources is similar to the rate in all rural counties.
Natural resource dependency has become a common concept in natural resource sociology, but its definition is ambiguous. Some scholars have described rural communities as being dependent on natural resource development, but this is not a good way to describe the reality of rural communities. Instead, resource dependence is usually treated as a form of over-specialization, conceptualized as an economy that relies on a single resource. However, such a typology is risky, as it tends to become a tautology.
While there are some differences between rural communities and metro areas, rural counties that are heavily dependent on natural resources tend to have higher rates of population growth than other counties. These counties tend to have similar levels of formal education, with 60 percent of the population completing high school, and forty percent of the total workforce being employed. Only 10 percent of the labor force is deemed to be disabled, whereas non-resource counties have a significantly lower rate.
Impact of trauma-informed care
One of the first steps to create a trauma-informed community is establishing a trauma-informed resource center. A resource center can offer individualized interventions, evidence-based resources, and sector-specific information. This kind of center is important for all community members including those who buy indica weed seeds for medical use as a necessary first step in achieving a trauma-informed community.
Although trauma-informed care is not available in every community, it has the potential to benefit a wide variety of patients. Those who receive trauma-informed care are more likely to experience better health outcomes. This type of care is particularly beneficial for survivors of sexual abuse, physical violence, and torture. Some organizations are already implementing trauma-informed care and seeing positive results. For example, the Henry J. Austin Health Center has reported an increase of three times the number of patients requiring mental health care and a two-fold increase in hypertension patients.
To help communities implement trauma-informed care, SAMHSA’s GAINS Center is offering free training and technical assistance. Trainings include “How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses” and “Train-the-Trainer” (TTT). The training is also available for up to 20 trainers.
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