Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Using Technology-Based Therapeutic Tools in Behavioral Health Services
Report discusses the use of telehealth to provide behavioral health services. Explores the benefits of telehealth as a bridge to accessing behavioral healthcare and presents implementation guidance, such as state and licensing regulations and reimbursement considerations.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Treating a Public Health Crisis for Rural Moms – A Comparative Analysis of Four Rural States Addressing Maternal Opioid Misuse with Medicaid Innovation Models
Discusses how four states - Colorado, Indiana, Maine, and Missouri - have used the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model to address maternal opioid use disorders among rural Medicaid beneficiaries. Compares different approaches taken by each state, including benefit eligibility, health insurance payers and health systems partnerships, and telehealth utilization.
Author(s): Jason Semprini
Citation: Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 16(2)
Date: 2021
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Community of Practice: Preventing and Reducing the Stigma of Substance Use Disorders in Rural Communities - Implementation and Lessons Learned
Report discusses strategies for reducing stigma around substance use disorders (SUDs) and SUD treatment in rural communities. Details the implementation of Communities of Practice sessions with participants and breaks down participant data and session timeline.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: Great Lakes PTTC, Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network
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Behavioral Health Barometer: United States, Volume 6
Provides a broad overview of behavioral health in the U.S. with an emphasis on illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, as well as the estimated percentage of people living with serious mental illness. Breaks down data by demographic information, such as age, sex, and others, as well as by metro or nonmetro location. Data is from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Opioid Initiation and Injection Transition in Rural Northern New England: A Mixed-methods Approach
Highlights a study on opioid initiation and transition to opioid injection in rural New England. Bases findings on interviews with opioid users in 11 rural counties in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Tracks the time and circumstances of first opioid use to first opioid injection.
Author(s): Kerry Nolte, Aurora L. Drew, Peter D. Friedmann, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 217(1), 108256
Date: 12/2020
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Prevalence and Geographic Distribution of Obstetrician-Gynecologists Who Treat Medicaid Enrollees and Are Trained to Prescribe Buprenorphine
Highlights a study on the geographic distribution of Medicaid-claimant obstetrician-gynecologists trained to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Compares provider prevalence in rural versus urban counties.
Author(s): Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Jennifer Culhane, Eugenia South, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(12), e2029043
Date: 12/2020
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How Does DATA-Waiver Provider Patient Capacity Relate to Opioid and Buprenorphine Prescribing?
Explores if regulatory changes to increase the patient capacity among buprenorphine waivered providers effects buprenorphine and opioids prescription rates at the county-level. Compares prescription rates by metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Robin Ghertner, Mir M. Ali
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up HCV Prevention and Treatment in the United States for People Who Inject Drugs
Highlights the cost-effectiveness of combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe-service programs (SSP) with hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who inject drugs. Compares services for patients in rural Perry County, KY; and urban San Francisco, CA.
Author(s): Carolina Barbosa, Hannah Fraser, Thomas J. Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 114(12), 2267-2278
Date: 12/2020
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Opioids in Medicaid: Concerns About Opioid Use Among Beneficiaries in Six Appalachian States in 2018
Examines the rates of opioid use of Medicaid beneficiaries in 6 Appalachian states in 2018. Discusses the amount of the prescriptions issued, the amounts of opioids received, and the amount of providers with questionable prescribing practices, among other opioid-related measures.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Substance Use Disorder: Reliable Data Needed for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program
Reviews what is known about the number of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities and services, overall treatment capacity, and barriers to expanding capacity. Describes the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG), State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (STR) and State Opioid Response (SOR) programs, and examines how seven states utilized these programs. Evaluates the data used to assess the effectiveness of these programs, and offers recommendations to improve the reliability of data collected on individuals served by the SABG program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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