Rural Project Examples Addressing Human services

Medical Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois
Updated/reviewed August 2023

Need: Legal barriers often prevent economically disadvantaged people in Southern Illinois from obtaining positive health outcomes despite receiving medical care.
Intervention: The Medical Legal Partnership of Southern Illinois (MLPSI) was formed to create a system where medical providers can refer patients in need of legal assistance to local attorneys.
Results: Over 5,400 patients have utilized MLPSI since its founding in 2002. The program has relieved over $8.1 million in medical debt for both hospitals and patients.

Parent Partners
Updated/reviewed March 2023

Need: To support parents whose children have been removed from the home so that the parents can make the changes needed for the children to return safely home.
Intervention: A statewide program in Iowa pairs these parents with mentors who have successfully navigated their own child welfare cases.
Results: Participants' children were more likely to return home than non-participants' children and participants were less likely to have another child removal within a year of the child coming home.

Rural Libraries and Health Cooperative Agreement
Updated/reviewed July 2023

Need: To increase access to healthcare and social services in rural South Carolina via library systems.
Intervention: Pilot sites are hiring social workers and community health workers to provide consultations, case management, and referrals.
Results: One library screens an average of 215 residents a month, and another library's programming reached over 800 female patrons.

The Possibility Shop
Added June 2023

Need: To connect vulnerable populations in Allegany County, Maryland, to health and human services and to items like hygiene products, food, and clothing.
Intervention: The Possibility Shop partners with health organizations, insurance navigators, food banks, and other agencies.
Results: From January through May 2023, 2,983 service encounters occurred and 253 intakes to services were performed.

HCC Network of Rural Missouri's Project Connect Event
Updated/reviewed April 2023

Need: To expand public health and human services to adults living in rural West Central Missouri.
Intervention: Health Care Collaborative Network of Rural Missouri organizes Project Connect events, daylong resource fairs that offer free public health and human services to underserved adults.
Results: In 2022, Project Connect events welcomed 179 guests and facilitated 2,673 total service encounters.

Outer Cape Health Services Community Resource Navigator Program
Updated/reviewed March 2023

Need: Improving outcomes for Outer and Lower Cape Cod residents in need of social, behavioral health, and substance use disorder services while reducing the burden and costs to town agencies and hospital emergency rooms.
Intervention: The Community Resource Navigator Program works with local social services, town agencies, faith-based institutions, hospitals, the criminal justice system, and others to identify and connect clients to needed services.
Results: Clients are gaining access to the care they were once lacking, as measured by improvements in self-sufficiency. The program also helps community partners and stakeholders work together to reduce the impact of risks associated with behavioral health symptoms, substance use disorder, and social determinants of health.

Together for Beaufort County
Updated/reviewed October 2022

Need: A community-wide collaborative process to identify and address specific quality-of-life challenges confronting the citizens of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Intervention: Together for Beaufort County facilitates the coordination of local and regional coalitions that address economic, social, health, educational, and environmental factors through shared collective impact process.
Results: Out of 46 counties in South Carolina, Beaufort County has reached the top ranking in health outcomes.

Project VISION
Updated/reviewed December 2021

Need: To reduce opioid use and increase quality of life in Rutland, Vermont.
Intervention: Project VISION works to reduce opioid use through community engagement.
Results: Since 2012, Project VISION has collected and disposed of 550 pounds of unused medications, reduced thefts by over 32%, and had a 50% improvement on a neighborhood quality of life survey.

Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline
Updated/reviewed July 2021

Need: To connect farmers in stress with needed resources.
Intervention: The Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline and website connect callers with counselors, help with daily living (like childcare or food assistance), and financial/legal advice.
Results: In 2020, the helpline received 104 calls, and the website had more than 7,000 visits.

Pathways Vermont Housing First Program
Updated/reviewed April 2021

Need: Ending a local Vermont population's homelessness experience.
Intervention: In 2010, Pathways Vermont implemented a first-of-its-kind, rural-focused Housing First program in order to provide housing and support services to those with mental health and substance use conditions experiencing homelessness.
Results: Since its initial start-up, Pathways Vermont has assisted over 560 Vermonters — about 70% from rural areas — experiencing homelessness using the Housing First model. The organization has collaborated with the state mental health department, corrections department, local healthcare systems and providers, and other organizations to end homelessness. In addition, programmatic work has expanded to reach other local populations, including veterans and at-risk families.

Rural Project Examples: Human services