In this on-the-road episode, Renee and Jason broadcast live from the Wisconsin Mental Health and Substance Use Recovery Conference, reflecting on how community-driven solutions, workforce realities, and systemic challenges continue to shape behavioral health in rural America. From their trademark “whiny farmer” intro to honest conversations about burnout, access, and innovation, this episode captures the authentic pulse of recovery work in the Midwest — where collaboration meets resilience.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How rural recovery conferences build bridges between systems and communities.
• Why workforce shortages and funding gaps continue to challenge behavioral health access.
• What lessons from the farm field reveal about balance and burnout in helping professions.
• How collaboration across counties and care levels is driving innovation in Wisconsin and beyond.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:09 – Introduction & “Whiny Farmer” Returns

00:02:15 – Live from Wisconsin: Setting the Scene

00:05:40 – Rural Workforce and System Gaps

00:10:05 – Community Collaboration and Conference Insights

00:14:30 – Lessons from the Field: Burnout, Balance, and Boundaries

00:18:45 – Looking Ahead: Recovery, Policy, and Hope

Links:

• https://bja.ojp.gov/program/jmhcp/overview
• https://www3.uwsp.edu/conted/Pages/Mental-Health-and-Substance-Use-Recovery-Conference.aspx 

Connect with us: 

https://ruralpolicypartners.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/rural-policy-partners/ 

https://www.facebook.com/facebook.com/ruralpolicypartners

https://www.youtube.com/@ruralpolicypartners

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s1hJQ1OcNmw