The Community Helpers Project: A description of a prevention strategy for rural communities

Because of the prevalence of psychosocial distress and the difficulties involved in delivering services to rural areas, prevention programs are especially important for rural communities. The Community Helpers Project was designed as a model prevention program for rural communities since it builds upon informal local helpers. Through a system of community-based training, local helpers' helping skills are enhanced using three training packages-basic helping skills, life development skills, and crisis resolution skills. The assumptions underlying the design of The Community Helpers Project, the components of the intervention, the locale of the effort, and an overview of its implementation are presented.