The case for managed cooperation (not competition): South Dakota Mental Health Linkage Project.

Promotion of collaboration among rural health providers is a needed strategy to improve integration, accessibility, and quality of mental health care. To support this viewpoint, pertinent outcome data from the authors' South Dakota (SD) project is presented. The data indicated that the project was successful in improving coordination of mental health care in south-central South Dakota. The authors feel that rural mental health care reform should emphasize rural cooperation and not managed competition. They support the recommendation that any health care reform should include training funds for the health care providers from underserved rural areas.