Highlands Community Services Featured on PBS Series on Rural Care
Los Angeles – – September 11, 2026 -- Highlands Community Services, a regional behavioral health provider in Southwest Virginia, will be featured in an upcoming segment of the Public Television series "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia," spotlighting trauma-informed care models designed to close service gaps in rural mental health and addiction treatment.
Program targets justice-system diversion for behavioral health crises
The segment examines how sparse rural infrastructure often forces law enforcement officers to act as primary responders during acute psychiatric emergencies, a pattern that drives unnecessary arrests and strains public resources. Highlands Community Services details how direct referral pathways and trauma-informed training for first responders, educators and local agencies redirect individuals from the justice system into clinical treatment settings.