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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Project Examples: Appalachia

Other Project Examples

First Day Forward

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Added March 2024

  • Need: Enhanced support for people with substance use disorders leaving jail and reentering communities in rural northeastern Kentucky.
  • Intervention: A reentry program that uses peer support specialists to teach cognitive life skills, obtain essential identification documents, and help people create and follow personalized case plans before and after their release.
  • Results: More than 420 people have been served by First Day Forward, with recidivism rates significantly lower among people who successfully completed the program.

MIST: Mothers and Infants Sober Together

funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Updated/reviewed May 2023

  • Need: To address the needs of pregnant women who are using substances and infants born into drug-positive families.
  • Intervention: The Mothers and Infants Sober Together (MIST) program assisted mothers who used substances in getting treatment and provided a safe, drug-free home for themselves and their newborn.
  • Results: MIST has helped mothers find treatment and education and has helped children grow up in safe and healthy homes.

For examples from other sources, see: