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Rural Health Information Hub

Other Case Studies and Collections of Program Examples: Illicit drug use

In addition to RHIhub's Rural Health Models and Innovations rural program examples, you may also want to browse other case studies, databases, and websites with collections of health programs.

Each resource listed below uses its own criteria for selecting program examples, which may range from programs known to be effective based on research to anecdotal accounts. In each resource, you may want to review information on the level of evidence required for a program's inclusion.

May include non-rural programs that could be applicable to rural health delivery.

Faith in Recovery Coalition Offers Hope for Opioid Use Disorder in Fayette County, Ohio
Highlights the Pathways to Recovery program, which works to address opioid use disorder in rural Ohio. Efforts include educating providers and law enforcement, overdose prevention, harm reduction, and recovery support from Peer Support Specialists.
Author(s): Kathryn Rutz
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Community Action Guide: Building Stronger, Healthy, Drug-Free Rural Communities
Provides an overview of challenges rural communities face related to substance use disorder (SUD), including prescription opioid misuse. Identifies action steps rural communities can take related to prevention, treatment, recovery, and SUD-related issues such as stigma, transportation barriers, and lack of employment opportunities. Features programs that are working to address these issues in rural communities.
Additional links: Promising Practices Supplement
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of National Drug Control Policy
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Creating a Consortium to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in Ohio
Highlights a program formed to address the opioid crisis in five counties in Ohio. Discusses the use of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to form a hub-and-spoke consortium of state, county, and community partners.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Health Opioid Program Funds Care Coordination Efforts for Recovery
Highlights programs funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy that provide opioid treatment and recovery care coordination. An Ohio program uses care coordination in an existing syringe exchange program and county family drug court, a Kentucky program focuses on helping prisoners, and a Montana program reaches new and expectant mothers.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Promising Practice: Summits Tackle Opioid Misuse and Treatment in Rural Illinois
Describes the Opioid Crisis Next Door summits, a series of conferences sponsored by the Illinois Center for Rural Health (ICRH) to increase the awareness of the opioid and heroin crisis in rural communities, and to identify ways for these communities to effectively respond to their misuse.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What's Working in the United States
A guide for community leaders, public health, law enforcement, and others working to address the opioid crisis in their community. Identifies evidence-based practices that have been successfully implemented in the U.S. and are effective in reducing rates of opioid overdose. Includes strategies focused on naloxone distribution, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), addressing opioid use in criminal justice settings, syringe services, and more.
Author(s): Jennifer J. Carroll, Traci C. Green, Rita K. Noonan
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Tackling the Opioid Crisis in a Rural Community
Discusses a partnership between a rural hospital physician and the director of a community counseling center to establish a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction in rural Maine. Presents the program's support structure, as well as the advantages of having an integrated treatment approach.
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Promising Practice: Virginia SORH Taking Aim at Opioid Overdose
Illustrates how the Virginia State Office of Rural Health (VA SORH) and its partners are focusing their attention on the opioid epidemic in rural areas of the state by expanding treatment, and training lay rescuers to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose and administer naloxone when necessary.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Stem the Tide: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Presents a report on various methods hospitals and health systems can use to address the opioid epidemic. Discusses non-opioid pain management, prescribing practices, and treatment for substance use disorders, among other topics. Highlights several rural programs in the Case Examples sections.
Date: 2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Pennsylvania Mobile Team Addresses Substance Use Disorders
Features the Addiction Recovery Mobile Outreach Team (ARMOT) program, which supports patients in the recovery process and educates medical staff on addiction and recovery. ARMOT is a collaboration of three hospitals, two substance abuse providers, and the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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