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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Substance use and misuse

Sep 18, 2023 - Highlights a diversion program for people jailed with substance use or mental health condition in a rural and tribal Arizona county. Notes challenges include finding a provider to work through the program as well as ensuring culturally competent care and equitable access for the tribal population. Includes information on the grant used to fund the program.
Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice
Sep 15, 2023 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking comment on an information collection request regarding revisions to data collections related to the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N–SUMHSS). The N–SUMHSS is the most comprehensive national source of data on substance use and mental health treatment facilities. Comments are due by November 14, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 13, 2023 - Discusses the challenges that come with providing family-based residential treatment for addiction in rural Minnesota. Notes that treatment in a family-based facility can improve pregnancy outcomes, increase chances of completing treatment, and keep families from being separated. Maternal opioid-related diagnoses have increased in recent years with a disproportionate rise seen in rural areas.
Source: KFF Health News
Sep 11, 2023 - Describes the impact of "recovery-friendly workplaces" in rural areas. Recovery-friendly workplaces are employers with policies supportive of those recovering from substance misuse. Notes that rural places can be less private and that stigma can still impact the job prospects of someone in recovery. Also discusses the economic benefits of recovery-friendly workplaces for rural areas with a small workforce pool.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Sep 7, 2023 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking comments on potential changes to its Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center (EBPRC), specifically regarding the possible introduction of three new domains for the EBPRC website. SAMHSA seeks input on four general questions about the EBPRC overall, as well as each of the domains described in this notice. Comments are due by October 13, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 6, 2023 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a virtual public meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) on October 18-19, 2023. The CPSTF is charged with identifying community preventive programs, services, and policies that increase healthy longevity and improve quality of life while saving money. Agenda items include deliberation on systematic reviews of the literature on cancer, preparedness and response, social determinants of health, and substance use.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 5, 2023 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on a proposed information collection titled "Public Health/Public Safety Strategies to Reduce Drug Overdose Data Collection." This data collection collects information on overdose prevention efforts that involve public health and public safety sectors or address justice-involved populations at increased risk of overdose. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 31, 2023 - Announcement of over $80 million in funding across 39 states through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) for response to the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Funded programs address issues such as access to medication to treat opioid use disorder, overdose prevention, mental health, neonatal exposure, and disseminating best practices in treatment and prevention.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Aug 24, 2023 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking applications from qualified individuals or organizations to be considered for non-voting representative positions on the Maternal Mental Health Task Force subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Women's Services (ACWS). ACWS advises the Associate Administrator for Women's Services (AAWS) on appropriate activities to be undertaken by SAMHSA with respect to women's substance use and mental health services. The Maternal Mental Health Task Force subcommittee will focus on maternal mental health and substance use including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, equity, and community-based interventions. Applications are due by September 22, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 23, 2023 - New research published in the Journal of Rural Health has found that rural youth that drink heavily are 43% more likely to also carry a handgun. 2,002 people ages 12 to 26 were studied over a 15 year period. Notes that interventions to decrease drinking could have an impact on handgun-carrying and, in turn, lower homicide and suicide rates in rural areas.
Source: UW Medicine Newsroom