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Successful urban-to-rural professional role transition

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Abstract

Mental health professionals who move from urban to rural environments to seek changes in lifestyle frequently experience stress in making personal and professional role transitions. Difficulty in making role transitions is a factor that adversely affects the rate of professional retention in the rural mental health field. This article reviews the sociological variables known to affect the ease of transition into new roles utilizing typical rural situations and practice examples to highlight the application of role transition theory to rural practice. The article concludes with recommendations to rural MHC administrators on ways to improve screening procedures for urban job applicants and ways to facilitate the urban professional's transition to rural life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Washington, Washington, USA

    Robert S. Miller ACSW (a Lecturer at the School of Social Work)

Authors
  1. Robert S. Miller ACSW
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Robert S. Miller is a practicum instructor for the Rural Community Mental Health Training Project for MSW students. (The Project is sponsored jointly by the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. It is funded by the National Institute on Mental Health, Grant # 5 T01 MH15262).

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Miller, R.S. Successful urban-to-rural professional role transition. Community Ment Health J 17, 143–152 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754361

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754361

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