Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Families
2026 CCBHC Impact Report
Discusses the impact certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) have had on expanding access to mental and substance use healthcare, supporting the well-being of children and families, and coordinating with primary care providers, among other measures. Explores national CCBHC implementation status, utilization of services, collaboration with other providers, and workforce support. Includes a breakdown of clientele expansions in rural CCBHCs.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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Discusses the impact certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) have had on expanding access to mental and substance use healthcare, supporting the well-being of children and families, and coordinating with primary care providers, among other measures. Explores national CCBHC implementation status, utilization of services, collaboration with other providers, and workforce support. Includes a breakdown of clientele expansions in rural CCBHCs.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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Recovery Is Possible: Continuity of Care from Incarceration to Community, with Kelsea O'Leary
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Kelsea O'Leary, Behavioral Health Program Manager for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Focuses on strategies used to facilitate continuity of care for justice-involved tribal citizens in recovery as they transition to post-incarceration life. Part 3 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists, with Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's work winning second place.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Kelsea O'Leary, Behavioral Health Program Manager for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Focuses on strategies used to facilitate continuity of care for justice-involved tribal citizens in recovery as they transition to post-incarceration life. Part 3 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists, with Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's work winning second place.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Access to WIC-Authorized Vendors and High-Speed Internet Services in Urban and Rural Areas
Examines the availability internet services across geographies that enable Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) eligible families to access online WIC shopping options. Utilizes data from 38,279 WIC-authorized vendors during fiscal years 2020-2022 and provides U.S. maps showing census tract-level access to WIC-authorized vendors, access to WIC-authorized vendors and fixed high-speed internet, and access to WIC-authorized vendors and 5G mobile high-speed internet. Includes rural versus urban census tract comparisons of adequate internet access and distance to nearest WIC-authorized vendor.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Leslie Hodges, John Pender, David Marquardt, Anna Shetler, Joanne Guthrie
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Examines the availability internet services across geographies that enable Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) eligible families to access online WIC shopping options. Utilizes data from 38,279 WIC-authorized vendors during fiscal years 2020-2022 and provides U.S. maps showing census tract-level access to WIC-authorized vendors, access to WIC-authorized vendors and fixed high-speed internet, and access to WIC-authorized vendors and 5G mobile high-speed internet. Includes rural versus urban census tract comparisons of adequate internet access and distance to nearest WIC-authorized vendor.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Leslie Hodges, John Pender, David Marquardt, Anna Shetler, Joanne Guthrie
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Testing Implementation Strategies for a Family Healthy Weight Program: Results From the Nebraska Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration 3.0 Pilot Trial
Examines the Building Healthy Families (BHF) Online Training Resources and Program Package that is used to help rural areas in Nebraska adopt and implement a family healthy weight program (FHWP). Analyzes a pilot study that implements the BHF Program Package with and without a learning collaborative option and discusses quality of online training resources, child engagement, implementation fidelity, and more.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, Bryce M. Abbey, et al.
Citation: Childhood Obesity Research, 4, 223-232
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the Building Healthy Families (BHF) Online Training Resources and Program Package that is used to help rural areas in Nebraska adopt and implement a family healthy weight program (FHWP). Analyzes a pilot study that implements the BHF Program Package with and without a learning collaborative option and discusses quality of online training resources, child engagement, implementation fidelity, and more.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, Bryce M. Abbey, et al.
Citation: Childhood Obesity Research, 4, 223-232
Date: 06/2026
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How a Father-Daughter Team is Strengthening Rural Maternity Care
A podcast episode that shares the story of two physicians, father and daughter, who provide maternal healthcare in rural Wisconsin. Discusses community-based care, family, and the connected nature of healthcare in rural communities.
Author(s): Kevin Carr, Melissa Carr, Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode that shares the story of two physicians, father and daughter, who provide maternal healthcare in rural Wisconsin. Discusses community-based care, family, and the connected nature of healthcare in rural communities.
Author(s): Kevin Carr, Melissa Carr, Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Tribal Health, Medicaid, and Child Welfare: Supporting Behavioral Health and Traditional Healing
A 3-part series that discusses the collaboration of tribal health, Medicaid, and child welfare systems and the subsequent benefits for Native American and Alaska Native children and families. Includes examples on how to integrate traditional healing practices into behavioral health services.
Author(s): Anne Smithey, Jahira Sterling, Ruby Goyal-Carkeek
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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A 3-part series that discusses the collaboration of tribal health, Medicaid, and child welfare systems and the subsequent benefits for Native American and Alaska Native children and families. Includes examples on how to integrate traditional healing practices into behavioral health services.
Author(s): Anne Smithey, Jahira Sterling, Ruby Goyal-Carkeek
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Bridging The Gap CoC: Homeless Point-in-Time Count January 25, 2026
Report offering point-in-time data on the homeless population in Hawaii's rural Hawaii, Kaua`i, and Maui counties. Discusses trends over time for various populations including veterans, children, families, people with substance use disorder, and more. See Dashboards for additional data.
Additional links: Dashboards
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Bridging the Gap, Ka Mana O Na Helu
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Report offering point-in-time data on the homeless population in Hawaii's rural Hawaii, Kaua`i, and Maui counties. Discusses trends over time for various populations including veterans, children, families, people with substance use disorder, and more. See Dashboards for additional data.
Additional links: Dashboards
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Bridging the Gap, Ka Mana O Na Helu
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The 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress
Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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The Distribution of the Youth Behavioral Health Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2025
Examines the distribution of school counselors; youth, family, or school psychologists; youth or family mental health nurses; school social workers; and pediatric psychiatrists or behavioral pediatricians across rural and urban areas of the U.S. Features statistics with breakdowns by provider type and location by 6 levels of population density, and a county-level map with shadings showing rural counties with and without youth behavioral health clinicians.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Examines the distribution of school counselors; youth, family, or school psychologists; youth or family mental health nurses; school social workers; and pediatric psychiatrists or behavioral pediatricians across rural and urban areas of the U.S. Features statistics with breakdowns by provider type and location by 6 levels of population density, and a county-level map with shadings showing rural counties with and without youth behavioral health clinicians.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Home Visiting Partnerships Serving Native Families: An Extension of the Multi-Site Implementation Study of Tribal Home Visiting (MUSE)
Discusses the Multi-Site Study of State-Tribal Collaboration (MUSE-STC) that examines collaboration between State Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program awardees and organizations within tribal communities that provide home visiting services. Analyzes facilitators and barriers of collaborative partnerships and how they impact tribal home visiting services, including those in rural areas.
Author(s): Melina Salvador, William Voinot-Baron, Erin Geary, Nancy Whitesell, Kate Lyon
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Discusses the Multi-Site Study of State-Tribal Collaboration (MUSE-STC) that examines collaboration between State Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program awardees and organizations within tribal communities that provide home visiting services. Analyzes facilitators and barriers of collaborative partnerships and how they impact tribal home visiting services, including those in rural areas.
Author(s): Melina Salvador, William Voinot-Baron, Erin Geary, Nancy Whitesell, Kate Lyon
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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