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Rural Health Information Hub

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

Rural School- and Community-Based Programs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
Highlights several school and community based programs that support the mental health and wellness of LGBTQ+ youth in rural communities. Presents four case studies of youth programs in rural communities in Minnesota and Maine. Discusses the context, organizational overview, key features, and challenges and opportunities for each program.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Robert Libal, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Health Equity in Rural America, Part 2: The Two Georgias Initiative, with Lisa Medellin, Arlene Parker Goldson, and Tara Gardner
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast focused on rural health equity and the work of the Two Georgias Initiative. Features Lisa Medellin, Director of Programs for the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Arlene Parker Goldson, health consultant for the Partnership for Southern Equity, and Tara Gardner, project coordinator for the Two Georgias coalition in Clay County, Georgia.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Mental Health in Rural New York: Findings and Implications of a Listening Tour with Residents and Professionals
Findings from the Rural Mental Health Listening Tour of New York State, conducted between March 2020 and September 2021 to elicit input and experiences of community members living and working in rural areas. Presents strengths and assets of rural communities, and highlights model programs and success stories. Includes recommendations in categories including access to transportation and broadband, access to mental health programs, availability of services, improving and sustaining workforce capacity, and offers state- and county-specific recommendations.
Author(s): Brett Harris, Katie Gallant, Abby Mariani
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Health Equity in Rural America, with Alana Knudson, Luciana Rocha, and Paula Swepson
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast focused on rural health equity. Features Alana Knudson and Luciana Rocha of NORC's Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis providing an overview of rural health equity, and Paula Swepson sharing the work of the West Marion Community Forum Inc. in McDowell County, North Carolina.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Maine Opioid Response: 2023-2025 Strategic Action Plan
Outlines steps being taken to save lives, to prevent substance use disorder (SUD), and to ensure that people in Maine can achieve their full potential. Focuses on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery, as well as public safety and infrastructure, language to acknowledge the importance of working with veterans, New Mainers, and faith-based SUD treatment programs. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
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Rural Domestic and Sexual Abuse Program Advocates: Making a Difference in The Lives of Older Survivors of Abuse
An overview of abuse in later life and step-by-step instructions to designing services for older victims. Includes information on outreach in rural communities, faith-based services, and coordinated care efforts.
Author(s): Ann Turner
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)
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Rural Libraries Implementing Walking Groups or Walking Groups plus Civic Engagement for Walkability in Rural Communities: A Comparative Effectiveness Trial Study Protocol
Describes a planned study on rural libraries and evidence-based health promotion programming. Will study both the effectiveness of multiple forms of community group-based walking programs as well as the ability of rural libraries to implement and evaluate them.
Author(s): Cynthia K. Perry, Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Jay E. Maddock, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 1895
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Common Problems, Common Solutions: Looking Across Sectors at Strategies for Supporting Rural Youth and Families Tool-Kit
Provides an overview of barriers faced by rural communities in supporting youth and families, and innovative strategies to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities. Informed by interviews and listening sessions with practitioners and leaders working in rural areas across the United States.
Author(s): Lisa Pilnik, Christine Humowitz
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, U.S. Department of Justice
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Florence County Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse and Mental Health Coalition - Increasing Community Capacity and Resources through Partnership
Details a community effort to address substance use and mental health issues in rural Florence County, WI. Highlights the coalition's efforts to address the behavioral health of the county's youth and families through school-based efforts and discusses how collective action can address behavioral health issues in rural communities.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bright Research Group, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Social Determinants of Health in the Age of COVID: Effects of Social Isolation Among Adults 62+ in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study analyzing the extent of social isolation among rural Pennsylvanians aged 62 or older during the pandemic, evaluating determinants of social isolation, identifying programs and services that minimize social isolation, and assessing potential replicability in Pennsylvania. Includes sections on factors such as mental health access, faith-based organizations, transportation, technology use, and housing options.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Christopher Harris, FangHsun Wei, Mary Rita Weller, Kelly Smith
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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