EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROJECT REPORT Submitted to the School of Nursing and Health Professions of Colorado Christian University Lakewood, Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE In the State of Texas, correctional facilities are required to provide medical and mental healthcare. The state is divided into regions with a single mental health authority responsible for the provision of mental healthcare. In rural counties, staffing and funding for the mental healthcare is the issue. In many rural counties the only mental healthcare provision is for crisis management and all other mental health issues are provided by the medical provider or jail staff. For this project, a satisfaction survey was administered to inmates in a rural correctional facility with the diagnosis of Schizophrenia to determine satisfaction levels for the current mental healthcare. Three telehealth mental healthcare visits were provided by a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and the survey was repeated. The results were compiled and the pre and post surveys were compared. Using IntellectusStatistics a descriptive comparison revealed a positive response to the telehealth intervention. The average of each inmates' answers pre and post was calculated and a paired t-test performed revealing significant increase in satisfaction of the mental healthcare provided. The use of a PMHNP increases access to mental health providers in rural areas. Access to a nursing school with a PMHNP program provides the option to become a clinical practice site. The positive results may lead to further projects related to telehealth mental healthcare, such as a community clinic for indigent mental healthcare. Evidence on post incarceration care in the community and its effect on recidivism is the next step to this project.