Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development

Welcome

At the Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD), we partner with area agencies to address the most pressing health and social service concerns affecting our communities. As part of SIU School of Medicine, our aim is to reduce health disparities in the 66 urban and rural counties across central and southern Illinois.

We support and empower residents from 66 counties through research, program evaluations, needs assessments, advocacy work and policy recommendations. We’re regularly testing new models of health care delivery to promote meaningful change in our neighbors’ lives and ensure at-risk communities receive the quality health care they deserve.  

We value more than anything else service to our communities, to our professions, and stakeholders. We value our motivated, professional, and productive staff, along with honesty, integrity, mutual respect, creative thinking, and excellence.
 

 

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Rural Land with Road and Fields

Center services

The CRHSSD is in place to help address health care and social service issues impacting the lives and productivity of those in our state and nation. We do this through grant and project development, research and evaluation, training and workforce development, and community engagement and outreach.

Rural Field with Sunset

Latest articles

Crop harvest

Gov. Pritzker announces increased access to mental health services for rural farmers and agricultural communities

2023 Farm Progress Show kicks off initiative to improve care options in partnership with SIU School of Medicine and Illinois FFA Foundation DECATUR — Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois
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Summit to spotlight gender health equity issues

The complexities of equitable gender health policies will be explored at the 2023 Illinois Rural Health Summit on October 10 at the Memorial Learning Center in Springfield.
FFRI awareness

Farm Family Resource Initiative efforts highlighted

Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello highlighted the availability of mental health resources through the Farm Family Resource Initiative while in Carbondale on May 30. He was joined by representatives of SIU Medicine and Josh and Emily Reinhardt, dairy farmers from Red Bud, Illinois.