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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Behavioral health

Developing Community Partnerships and Authentically Engaging Youth to Prevent Substance Use: Successes from the Pyramid Coalition in Hidalgo County, New Mexico
Explores the Pyramid Coalition, a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program initiative, in rural Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Discusses the coalition's work in preventing youth substance use and highlights best practices for engaging youth in rural and frontier communities.
Author(s): Christina Johnson, Joni Kerr
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 32(6S), S181-S184
Date: 11/2026
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Building a Rural, Coalition-Based Approach to Youth Substance Use Prevention: The Drug Free Dickson Coalition Model
Presents a rural coalition-based initiative to address youth substance use in Dickson County, Tennessee. Details a coalition, including local government, schools, healthcare providers, faith-based institutions, and law enforcement, among others, that works to engage youth across the county using evidence-based strategies.
Author(s): Karrie R. Thompson
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 32(6S), S185-S188
Date: 11/2026
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How Do Services Offered Within Opioid Treatment Programs Vary Based on State Methadone Policies?
Examines the availability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in various states as well as access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) options, psychosocial services, and housing supports. Analyzes 1,501 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and their characteristics, including state restrictiveness, services offered, facility type, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Zoe Lindenfeld, Noa Krawczyk, Erin A. Taylor, Denis Agniel, Jonathan H. Cantor
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 190, 210062
Date: 11/2026
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Veterans Affairs Clinical Resource Hub Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Rural Veterans
Evaluates 627,436 telemental health service encounters over 5 years with rural veterans to determine the impact of 18 Clinical Resource Hubs on access to mental healthcare. Discusses how utilization of telemental health services increased over the 5 years, trends in modality types, and mental health diagnoses, in addition to other demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Erin Jaske, Chelle L. Wheat, Bradford Felker, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 32(10), 995-1002
Date: 10/2026
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Mental Health Care Access in Rural Communities amid the Expansion of Telehealth
Analyzes National Health Interview Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to explore how mental healthcare access has changed for rural and urban residents as telehealth services have expanded. Discusses findings regarding publicly insured, privately insured, and self-pay patients.
Author(s): Anja Gruber, Anders Van Sandt, Scott Loveridge, Craig Carpenter, Cris Meier
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9)
Date: 09/2026
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Expanding Peer Recovery Services in Rural Georgia: A Recovery Community Organization's Approach
Provides information on recovery community organizations (RCOs) and their role in providing support to people with substance use disorder (SUD). Discusses the implementation, programs, services, staffing, funding, and impact of an RCO in rural Georgia.
Author(s): Vanessa Finisse
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Supporting Agricultural Workers, and Their Mental Health
Short video discusses mental health struggles in the agricultural community and explores the story of a ranching family that lost a loved one to suicide. Details the Farm State of Mind campaign, which offers peer support and counseling.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Historical State Actions Aligned with Approved RHTP Uses
Describes state legislation enacted to address rural health topics that coincide with priorities of the Rural Health Transformation Program, including chronic disease management, the healthcare workforce, emergency medical services, health technology, behavioral health, and healthcare payment.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Cancer Survival Differences Between Rural and Urban Populations During the Opioid Epidemic: A SEER Analysis
Explores how rural and urban cancer survival changed over time during the U.S. opioid epidemic, and how rural cancer survival disparities were associated with increasing drug mortality during the same period. Utilizes 2000-2016 SEER and CDC WONDER data.
Author(s): Martin G. Bouldo, Daniel J. Becker
Citation: Anticancer Research, 46(9), 4973-4984
Date: 09/2026
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Chronic Pain in Community: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Vet-to-Vet Program
Examines healthcare utilization patterns among veterans with chronic pain enrolled in the Vet-to-Vet program, a peer-led virtual support group. Utilizes focus group feedback from 40 veterans in the program regarding outcomes from participation, including impacts on mental, physical, and social health.
Author(s): Rachael R. Kenney, Elise Gunzburger, Drew Herbert, Kyla L. Bauer, Joseph W. Frank
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70217
Date: 09/2026
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