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Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.

Review of Four CARA Programs and Preparing for Future Evaluations
Report highlights a review of 4 programs funded through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) aimed at expanding access to overdose prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Explores the impact of the programs on their communities and makes recommendations for policy makers. Discusses challenges and program adaptations for rural communities.
Additional links: Read Online, Report Highlights
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Improving Access - NAM Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic Telehealth and Virtual Care Meeting Series
Highlights the proceedings of a meeting discussing the use of telehealth and virtual care to treat substance use disorder (SUD). Explores the effect the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth regulation and reimbursement. Features considerations for rural communities.
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Spatiotemporal Trends in Three Smoothed Overdose Death Rates in US Counties, 2012–2020
Provides county-level U.S. maps depicting spatiotemporal patterns of synthetic opioid, any opioid, and psychostimulant overdose death rates from 2012 to 2020 and discusses overdose trends and potential response.
Author(s): McKinley E. Saunders, Jamie L. Humphrey, Barrot H. Lambdin
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 03/2023
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Availability of Behavioral Health Providers and Services in Rural Areas, with Holly Andrilla
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Holly Andrilla, Deputy Director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on rural availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors, as well as recent developments in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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How One New Mexico County is Taking a Community-Wide Approach to Treating Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders
Features a McKinley County, New Mexico community consortium that takes a holistic approach to recovery. Describes the growth of the collaboration over time and the range of local organizations involved.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Strategies to Recruit Rural Primary Care Providers to Implement a Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Focused Integrated Care Model
Highlights a study on an intervention aimed at addressing systemic barriers to accessing medications for opioid used disorder (MOUD) for rural patients via an integrated care model. Breaks down the intervention structure and discusses project replication and sustainability.
Author(s): Renee M. Cloutier, Evan S. Cole, Brianna L. McDonough, et al.
Citation: Implementation Research and Practice, 4, 1-12
Date: 01/2023
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Over the Hills and Through the Hollers: How One Program is Assisting Residents of Appalachia with Opioid Use Recovery
Results of a study evaluating the Kentucky Access to Recovery Program (KATR), which provides services to low-income adults recovering from opioid addiction in several rural eastern Kentucky counties. Examines the impact of KATR on service recipients' access to recovery services and supports.
Author(s): Aubrey E. Jones, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(3), 71-86
Date: 01/2023
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Rural Resource Guide: Affordable Housing and Recovery in Rural Communities
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.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Filling the Gaps in the Behavioral Health Workforce
Discusses the shortage of licensed behavioral health workers in rural and underserved communities. Explores the roles of behavioral health support specialists and community-initiated care to support licensed behavioral health professionals. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the roles of the nonclinical workforce.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: