Rural Project Examples: Illicit drug use
Evidence-Based Examples
keepin' it REAL Rural
Updated/reviewed March 2022
Updated/reviewed March 2022
- Need: A drug and alcohol prevention program for middle school students that is specific to rural culture.
- Intervention: An adaptation of the evidence-based keepin' it REAL curriculum was customized for rural middle school students.
- Results: Students showed a reduction in all substance use and less personal acceptability of substance use.
Effective Examples
Vermont Hub-and-Spoke Model of Care for Opioid Use Disorder
Updated/reviewed August 2020
Updated/reviewed August 2020
- Need: Increase access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Vermont.
- Intervention: Statewide hub-and-spoke treatment access system.
- Results: Increased treatment capacity and care coordination.
Other Project Examples


Updated/reviewed December 2021
- Need: To reduce deaths due to opioid overdose in rural southeast West Virginia.
- Intervention: The Community Connections, Inc. Rural Health Opioid Program trained and certified first responders, healthcare staff, and laypeople in naloxone administration.
- Results: From October 2018 to September 2021, the program provided direct education to 638 individuals, trained 821 providers, and distributed 4,023 Narcan kits.
Project VISION
Updated/reviewed December 2021
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.

Updated/reviewed August 2021
- Need: In northern Michigan, a need for an integrated approach to deliver medication-assisted treatment for established patients of Federally Qualified Health Centers with opioid use disorder.
- Intervention: Collaboration between one FQHC across 3 sites, a local waivered prescriber group, and a behavioral health organization created an integrated treatment approach for opioid use disorder.
- Results: Increased access to medication-assisted treatment and comprehensive substance use disorder services leading to increased retention in treatment and increased engagement in stable recovery from opioid and alcohol use disorders.

Updated/reviewed December 2020
- Need: To reduce deaths from opioid overdoses in rural Maine.
- Intervention: The MaineGeneral Harm Reduction Program provides community education/training for healthcare staff, first responders, community agency staff, and community members in rural Kennebec and Somerset counties.
- Results: MaineGeneral continues to train providers, provide stigma assessments, and distribute Narcan kits.
For examples from other sources, see: