Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Event: Strengthening Rural Behavioral Health Care Access Through a Community-Based Workforce

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:04:17 -0500

-- Center for Health Care Strategies

Event: Telehealth & Behavioral Health Privacy: What Rural Providers Need to Know

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:31:44 -0500

Resource: SAMHSA Recovery Resource Center

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:17:44 -0500

Provides resources and information for behavioral health recovery support and services. Highlights information on evidence-based practices, workforce development, and access to care for recovery services. Includes resources for rural and tribal communities. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

News: HHS Awards More Than $380 Million to Strengthen America's Behavioral Health System on 988 Day

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:07:35 -0500

Announces awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a variety of behavioral health treatment, prevention, and crisis response programs across over 20 funding opportunities. Includes funding for suicide prevention and response in tribal communities, community-based systems of care for tribal youth, emergency medical services for behavioral health crises in rural areas, and training and technical assistance for rural opioid and stimulant use.

Resource: Unmasking the Rural Substance Use Burden: The Need to Move Beyond Macro-Level Data in Substance Use Policy and Planning

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:40:38 -0500

Brief examines health-related differences and service gaps of rural, non-rural, and national communities to better understand substance use trends in order to inform policies and interventions in rural communities. Bases findings on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and details rates of opioid, stimulant, vape, and alcohol use in rural and urban areas in 2023 and 2024. -- Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance

Event: Whole Health: Strategies to Manage Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:08:41 -0500

Event: Expanding Recovery Access in Rural Communities: How Digital Tools Are Transforming Support Across Tribal, Clinical, and Community Settings

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:15:43 -0500

-- National Association of County and City Health Officials

Resource: Non-Metropolitan vs. Metropolitan Variations in Alcohol, Illicit Drug, and Prescription Therapeutic Drug Misuse

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:50:35 -0500

Reports on how alcohol use, illicit drug use, and the use of opioid and non-opioid prescription drugs vary by rural or urban area using 2023-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. -- Rural and Underserved Health Research Center

Resource: Substance Use in Nonmetropolitan Counties

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:44:03 -0500

Spotlight highlights selected substance use in nonmetropolitan counties by urbanization. Breaks down rates of alcohol use, marijuana use, and illicit drug use, among others, by urbanized, less urbanized, and rural nonmetro areas. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: Rural and Urban Availability of Substance Use Treatment Facilities

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:39:09 -0500

Discusses the national availability of and regional variance in substance use disorder treatment facilities for rural and urban residents. Highlights the number of facilities per 100,000 population by rural status and county, as well as the number of facilities offering medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services. -- Rural and Underserved Health Research Center

Resource: Buprenorphine Dispensed by Pharmacies and Administered in Emergency Departments in Urban and Rural Areas — United States, 2019–2025

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:07:03 -0500

Reports on how the provision of buprenorphine in pharmacies and emergency departments varied by rural or urban area between 2019 and 2025. Includes rural and urban data comparisons on the frequency of dispensing or administering buprenorphine, dosing, prescribing, availability, and more, including year-by-year comparisons. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Event: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Tribal Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) Meeting

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:29:47 -0500

Anacortes WA
September 15, 2026 -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: Rural–Urban Differences in Excessive Alcohol Use and Select Mental Health Conditions

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:40:16 -0500

Explores the differences in alcohol use by people with self-reported mental health conditions in rural and urban areas using 2021-2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. Breaks down data by demographic markers, such as education level, employment, and health insurance status, among others. Compares alcohol use and mental health data by large urban, small urban, and rural areas.

News: Severe Flooding Raises Deadly Overdose Risk in Rural Appalachia, Study Finds, and the Harm Lasts for Years

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:25:31 -0500

Highlights research finding that recent flooding in rural Appalachia increased opioid overdose deaths due to the stress of the event, disrupted treatment, and weakened support systems in the aftermath. Discusses data trends following severe floods and how lessons learned from one destructive flood prepared providers for future flooding disasters.

Event: 2027 37th Annual National Leadership Forum & SAMHSA's 22nd Prevention Day

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:49:15 -0500

National Harbor MD
February 1, 2027 -- Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

Event: Healthy Native Youth Community of Practice: Tobacco & Vaping 101

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:31:34 -0500

-- Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Resource: Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health: Addressing Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders with Chronic Physical Illnesses

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:15:14 -0500

Report details the way physical and behavioral healthcare integration can support patients with co-occurring behavioral health disorders and chronic physical issues. Discusses the different levels of care integration, evidence-based approaches, and established models for care integration in different settings. Highlights a rural clinic-based telepsychiatry model in South Carolina. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: Recovery Is Possible: Continuity of Care from Incarceration to Community, with Kelsea O'Leary

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:23:50 -0500

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. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2025

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:56:39 -0500

Explores 2025 survey data on use of prescription and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, trends in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: How Wearables and Other Digital Tools Are Driving Innovation in Behavioral Health

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:30:15 -0500

Explores the use of wearable devices, applications, telehealth platforms, and AI-enabled screening tools to support prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Discusses how these tools can be used to collect data that can inform care strategies and policy. Highlights how digital tools can broaden access to rural communities. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: Virtual Roads to Real Recovery, with Amanda Kennedy

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:12:01 -0500

An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Amanda Kennedy, manager of the Mercy Virtual Substance Use Recovery Program. Focuses on strategies the program uses to build trust and provide patients a seamless bridge into substance use treatment. Part 2 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists, with Mercy vSURP's work winning third place. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Preventing Death and Supporting Recovery, with Ray Antonacci and Sarah Czarnecki

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:53:25 -0500

An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Lincoln County Ambulance District Chief Ray Antonacci and Battalion Chief Sarah Czarnecki. Focuses on a new initiative allowing them to administer buprenorphine to incarcerated individuals experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms. Part 1 in a 3-part series featuring the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Innovation Tank finalists. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: Financing and Sustaining Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Settings Toolkit

Wed, 27 May 2026 10:46:02 -0500

Interactive toolkit aims to help primary care providers build and maintain financially sustainable integrated behavioral health (IBH) models into their practices. Highlights models for creating funding streams that can sustain IBH models. Provides substance use resources, a literature collection, and case studies, among other resources, to support IBH program planning and implementation. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Resource: Governors' Policy Actions on Behavioral Health Access

Wed, 27 May 2026 10:16:44 -0500

Provides examples of behavioral health priorities outlined in state Rural Health Transformation Programs, including integrated care models, scaling telehealth services, and workforce incentives. Describes how states can incorporate supplemental grant funding to promote sustainable growth of the behavioral health workforce. -- National Governors Association

Resource: Community-Initiated Care in Behavioral Health: Exploring Funding Mechanisms for Substance Use Disorders

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:36:15 -0500

Report explores funding options for behavioral health-focused community-initiated care (CIC) programs. Discusses CIC community partners, activities performed, and funding sources for programs to utilize. Details the characteristics of CIC programs, such as age groups and populations served, as well as prevalence in rural communities. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Resource: UVM CORA Co-Occurring PTSD and OUD Toolkit

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:24:44 -0500

Toolkit provides evidence-based assessments, treatment and training materials, and educational resources for behavioral health professionals providing care to rural people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Discusses the challenges of treating OUD with co-occurring PTSD and highlights strategies for assessment, counseling, and/or referrals. -- University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction

Resource: Comparing the Care, Distance Traveled, and Health Workforce Clinician Mix for Rural and Urban Commercially Insured Enrollees With Opioid Use Disorder

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:57:49 -0500

Examines characteristics of opioid treatment in rural and urban communities across the United States. Utilizes 2019 commercial claims data from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) to analyze rural versus urban differences in opioid use disorder and overdose diagnoses, healthcare utilization, healthcare visits by clinician type, average distance traveled to utilize healthcare, and location of received care. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Comparing the Care and Distance Traveled by Rural and Urban Children and Adolescents with Medicaid Insurance and Opioid Use Disorder

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:06:38 -0500

Presents a study on the geographic factors that affect access to treatment for youth and adolescents, aged 0-17, with an opioid use disorder (OUD) and enrolled in Medicaid in 2019. Discusses the effects of rurality, travel burden, and residing in a county without a clinician with a DEA waiver, among other measures. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Rural-Urban Variation in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Access among Commercially Insured Children and Adolescents

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:09 -0500

Details a study on the geographic factors that affect access to treatment for youth and adolescents, aged 0-17, with an opioid use disorder (OUD) and covered by commercial insurance in 2019. Discusses the effects of rurality, provider type, travel burden, and residing in a county without a clinician with a DEA waiver, among other measures. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Peer Recovery Supports for Behavioral Health in Rural Communities

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:19:33 -0500

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. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration