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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and faith-based initiatives

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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Choosing a Falls Prevention Program That Works for Your Community
Describes how to match a falls prevention program to community needs. Highlights evidence-based programs approved by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Discusses rural considerations regarding training demands and delivery methods.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Aging
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Community Voices from North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots Program: Implications for Designing and Evaluating Programs to Address Upstream Drivers of Health
Describes experiences of participants in North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots program, including enrollees, care managers, and staff at community-based organizations. The program tested impacts of providing services to eligible Medicaid members to address upstream drivers of health in 3 predominantly rural regions of the state.
Author(s): Alida Austin, Katie Huber, Brianna Van Stekelenburg, Kody Kinsley, Rebecca Whitaker
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Voices From the Field: Insights on Coordinating Health and Community Care in Rural, Frontier and Tribal Communities
Summarizes themes from 44 interviews with 24 rural and tribal community-based organizations highlighting benefits, challenges, and needs for coordination between health and social care through community care hubs. Discusses rural resiliency and specific concerns for tribal communities.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Aging and Disability Business Institute, Center of Excellence to Align Health and Social Care, USAging
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Faith, Hope, and Therapy: A Qualitative Study to Explore Faith-Based Leaders' Perceptions of Mental Illness in the Rural South
Examines the perceptions of faith leaders living in the rural South on mental illness, referrals to mental health professionals, and mental health stigma. Provides qualitative feedback from pastors and ministers regarding mental health and the role of the church, preparedness and training to address mental health, and the importance of relationships.
Author(s): Shameka L. Cody, Shena Sanchez, Wanda M. Burton, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 06/2026
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Expanding Zero Suicide: Qualitative Assessment of Community Mental Health Center Partnerships Supporting Rural Suicide Prevention
Examines the impact of the Zero Suicide framework and its ability to promote community mental health supports. Utilizes semi-structured interview feedback from Zero Suicide organizations served by a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) and discusses suicide prevention partnerships, information sharing, and staffing in rural areas.
Author(s): Ryan Marawala, Thomas Delaney
Citation: Community Mental Health Journal
Date: 04/2026
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Peer Recovery Supports for Behavioral Health in Rural Communities
Discusses behavioral health peer recovery support services in rural and agricultural communities. Highlights innovative and promising practices for overcoming behavioral health barriers, such as addressing stigma, social isolation, and scarcity of services through community and peer supports.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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A Strategic Planning Guide for Rural Communities
Report outlines the importance of strategic planning in supporting the health of rural communities and highlights implementation challenges. Details the process of engaging community partners in the strategic planning process and explores methods for overcoming barriers.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance
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Community Health Services Development: An Aggregate Report of the Community Health Needs Assessments and Implementation Plans of Montana's Critical Access Hospitals, 2021-2024
Report presents the aggregate data from community health needs assessments and community health implementation plans from Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) throughout Montana. Breaks down data on health concerns, desired healthcare services, and healthcare utilization, among other community-level health measurements.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Montana Office of Rural Health
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