Human Services to Support Rural Health resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

News: $2.1M Initiative Expands Early Learning Opportunities for Young Children in Rural Utah

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:47:59 -0500

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is investing $2.1 million in a one-year project to support preschool through early elementary school in rural Utah communities. The initiative emphasizes improving preschool classrooms, expanding summer STEM camps, and encouraging family engagement to address student attendance.

Organization: Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:00:01 -0600

Collaborates with government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, tribal communities, and territories to improve human services for kinship and grandfamilies. Offers resources and supports to organizations working with families in which grandparents or other relatives are raising children.

Event: 2026 51st Annual National Rural Social Work Conference

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:16:20 -0600

Hopkinsville KY
July 15, 2026

Resource: In Rural Communities, Where Child Care Is Often Scarce, Healthcare Organizations Are Finding Creative Ways to Help

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:14:58 -0600

Features rural healthcare organizations in Indiana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin that have partnered with childcare providers, schools, and other organizations to support affordable child care in their communities. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Evaluating the TVR-SET: Insights into Self-Employment from Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:28:33 -0600

Discusses the Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Self-Employment Toolkit (TVR-SET) that provides resources to assist American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people with disabilities in securing employment in their communities. Evaluates TVR-SET and provides key findings and impact on users. -- University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities

Resource: Technological Innovation in Rural Health and Human Services Spaces, with Dan Shane

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:01:41 -0500

An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Dan Shane, Associate Professor with the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. Focuses on opportunities for applying technological advances in rural health and human services, potential challenges, and future avenues of development. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Navigating Disability Benefits: New Research on Administrative Burden and Work Incentives

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:26:41 -0500

A recorded webinar that discusses the difficulty of navigating income support for people with low incomes and/or disabilities. Focuses on supplemental security income (SSI) and social security disability insurance (SSDI) application, eligibility, and work incentives. Includes SSI and SSDI policy challenges for rural residents, such as transportation, digital access, and legal representation.

Resource: Reflections from Lived Experience: Disability and Public Libraries

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:57:52 -0500

Examines disability needs as related to rural public libraries and their services. Focuses on library networking, information resources, outreach, and accessing community resources in rural areas. Discusses library services such as assisting with health insurance and benefits enrollment, social connectedness, transportation needs, and more. -- University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities

Resource: Private Childcare Establishments per 1,000 Children in Rural Areas Have Increased but Are Now Less than in Urban Areas

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:23:48 -0600

Bar chart comparing the number of private childcare establishments in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022. -- USDA Economic Research Service

Resource: Lessons for Human Services: Perspectives of Program Participants on Extreme Weather and Environmental Hazards

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:20:51 -0600

Examines how human services programs mitigate issues caused by environmental hazards and extreme weather for low-income and underresourced communities. Utilizes qualitative data from 41 participants, with a focus on impacts of trash and garbage, flooding, air and water quality, extreme heat, and other environmental conditions. Includes commentary about hazards specific to rural areas. -- HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Resource: Integrating Employment and Mental Health Services: Implementation of the Individual Placement and Support Model for Adults with Justice Involvement

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:30:14 -0600

Examines the Individual Placement and Support for Adults with Justice Involvement (IPS-AJI) program, which helps justice involved adults with mental health issues find and maintain employment. Analyzes 5 mental health centers that have implemented IPS-AJI and focuses on the program context, population served, key aspects of implementation, and the cost of the program. Mental health centers located in Claremore, Oklahoma; Moline, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa are considered rural. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: The 2021–2022 Study of Family and Staff Experiences in American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start FACES Programs: Spring 2022 Data Tables and Study Design

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 09:24:04 -0600

Provides a comprehensive overview of Region XI Head Start programs, which works with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, and provides data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). Includes data on Region XI characteristics, experiences, health status, and needs of children and their families; cultural and linguistic experiences; and characteristics of Head Start programs and staff. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Assessing SNAP Participants' Fitness for Work: Final Report

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:10:36 -0500

Examines how assessments are made and implemented regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements. Discusses variations of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) across 4 case study states: Georgia, Maryland, Texas, and Wisconsin. Includes SNAP applicant characteristics and determinations for work requirements by demographic information and urbanicity of metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural. Provides feedback from rural SNAP staff regarding difficulties assessing SNAP participants' fitness for work. -- USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Resource: The 2021–2022 Study of Family and Staff Experiences in American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start FACES Programs: Fall 2021 Data Tables and Study Design

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:36:08 -0500

Analyzes 18 Region XI programs and reported data from American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start children, parents, and teachers. Provides information on issues such as children's home environments, social-emotional learning skills, disabilities and physical health, and teacher and child characteristics. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Challenges and Opportunities for Workforce Programs in Rural Areas: Evidence from HPOG 2.0

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 15:48:52 -0500

Provides an overview of the non-tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) 2.0 program location and statistics, services delivery strategies, participant receipts of support services, and participant outcomes. Includes comparative data on rural versus non-rural HPOG 2.0 programs. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Housing Assistance Council 2023 Annual Report

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:20:22 -0500

Provides an overview of the Housing Assistance Council's (HAC) 2023 work to provide safe housing for rural residents, create original research, advocate for housing policy, and train housing professionals. -- Housing Assistance Council

Resource: Understanding Planning for Tribal Home Visiting Implementation: A Report From the Multi-Site Implementation Evaluation of Tribal Home Visiting

Fri, 03 May 2024 09:46:40 -0500

Examines model implementation of home visiting programs within U.S. indigenous communities. Uses community-engaged approaches to identify planning, implementation, challenges, and supports of the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (Tribal MIECHV) program. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Rural/Urban Differences in Receipt of Governmental Rental Assistance: Relationship to Health and Disability

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:07:53 -0500

Examines the relationship of housing to health and disability. Utilizes 2021 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze home ownership and rental assistance by rural versus urban location, with further breakdowns by demographics, marital status, education and employment status, self-rated health, region, and disability status.

Resource: Portfolio of Research in Welfare and Family Self-Sufficiency

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 09:01:09 -0500

Provides an overview of the efforts of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation to support families and promote self-sufficiency. Focuses on capacity building, strategies to improve program/participant outcomes, knowledge building and communication, and related family welfare resources and publications. Discusses nuances of specific environments and human services in rural contexts. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Practice Perspectives on Care Coordination in Rural Settings

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 14:40:58 -0500

Analyzes perspectives on care coordination models in rural areas that integrate social services with healthcare. Examines interview feedback from 16 healthcare informants in rural Missouri regarding integration of social determinant of health (SDOH) services into their practices, such as transportation, mental health, housing, food access, and dental care.

Resource: Family Strengthening Research: 2022 Report

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:47:18 -0500

Provides an overview of the Division of Family Strengthening's (DFS) major research investments through 2022. Reports on DFS focus areas: strengthening and supporting relationships, fatherhood, children, and families; reducing teen pregnancy and supporting positive youth development; and preventing family violence. Includes discussions on programs and issues specific to tribal and rural communities. -- Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Resource: Recovery in Rural America: Housing Helps Address the Substance Use Disorder Crisis

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:16:07 -0500

Describes the intersection of housing issues and substance use disorder (SUD) and discusses potential collaborations, innovations, and solutions. Includes examples of how rural communities across the U.S. have strategized to solve problems associated with housing and SUD. -- Housing Assistance Council

Resource: Human Services in Rural Contexts: Comprehensive Report

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 10:05:43 -0500

Provides an overview of human services in rural areas, with information focused on human services programs and benefits, economic and social well-being, persistent poverty communities, and adaptations to overcome access barriers in rural areas. Includes tables, graphs, and county-level U.S. maps depicting human services needs. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Exploring Remaining Needs and Opportunities for Improvement in Rural Communities: A Focus on Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) Services

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 10:05:38 -0500

Report discusses the distribution and impact of the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs in rural counties across the country. Highlights the counties with programs funded my HMRF and counties that lack HMRF services. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Exploring Remaining Needs and Opportunities for Improvement in Rural Communities: A Focus on Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Programs

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:47:50 -0500

Report explores the distribution and impact of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) in rural counties. Details the grant recipient type and location by state and county. Discusses the remaining need for HPOG in rural counties. -- Administration for Children and Families

Resource: Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program: Final Report

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 08:31:17 -0500

Examines the effectiveness of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) to develop community responses and create Continuums of Care (CoCs) plans for unhoused youth in urban and rural sites. Discusses engagement of youth to create local policy; networking and collaboration among child welfare, education, behavioral health, and juvenile justice agencies; and outreach services and housing interventions. -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Resource: Common Problems, Common Solutions: Looking Across Sectors at Strategies for Supporting Rural Youth and Families Tool-Kit

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:17:15 -0600

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. -- U.S. Department of Justice

Organization: National Housing Conference

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:47:22 -0600

Dedicated to helping ensure safe, decent, and affordable housing for all in America. A nonpartisan organization working to develop housing partnerships, educate stakeholders, and provide innovations and best practices.

Resource: 4C for Cherokee Children Cultural Connection

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:48:30 -0600

Discusses the trauma Cherokee children experience in the foster care system and a related program meant to mitigate the grief and loss after being removed from the home. Focuses on utilizing cultural knowledge to process trauma and improve physical and mental health. Transcript available below description. -- Capacity Building Center for Tribes

Resource: Rural Resource Guide: Affordable Housing and Recovery in Rural Communities

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 09:38:26 -0600

Provides an overview on federal regulations related to housing applicants with substance use disorder (SUD) and/or criminal charges. Reports on housing programs provided by Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses affordable housing in rural areas as a necessary component in SUD recovery. -- Housing Assistance Council