Evidence-Based Toolkits for Rural Community Health

Step-by-step guides to help you build effective community health. Resources and examples are drawn from evidence-based and promising programs. By learning from programs that are known to be effective, you can make the best use of limited funding and resources.

Rural Community Health Toolkit

Start here for a guide to building rural community health programs to address any type of health issue. Learn how to identify community needs, find evidence-based models, plan and implement your program, evaluate results, and much more.

Aging in Place Toolkit

Explore program models and approaches to support rural aging in place.

Care Coordination Toolkit

Find models and program examples for delivering high-quality care across different rural healthcare settings.

Chronic Disease Management Toolkit

Discover models and resources for developing chronic disease management programs.

Community Health Workers Toolkit

Learn about roles community health workers (CHWs) fill, as well as CHW training approaches.

Community Paramedicine Toolkit

Discover models and resources for developing community paramedicine programs in rural areas.

Early Childhood Health Promotion Toolkit

Learn how to develop early childhood health promotion programs in rural communities.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit

Discover strategies, resources, and case studies to support rural emergency planning, response, and recovery.

Health Equity Toolkit

Explore evidence-based frameworks and promising strategies to advance health equity in rural communities.

Health Literacy Toolkit

Discover resources and model programs for improving personal and organizational health literacy in rural communities.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit

Learn about strategies and models for rural health promotion and disease prevention in the community, clinic, and workplace.

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Toolkit

Explore models and resources for implementing HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs in rural communities.

Maternal Health Toolkit

Find resources and models for developing programs to address rural maternal health issues.

Mental Health Toolkit

Discover resources and models to develop rural mental health programs, with a primary focus on adult mental health.

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Toolkit

Learn about models and resources for implementing medication for opioid use disorder programs in rural communities.

Oral Health Toolkit

Discover rural oral health approaches that focus on workforce, access, outreach, schools, and more.

Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Toolkit

Learn about models and resources for developing substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs in rural communities.

Services Integration Toolkit

Learn how rural communities can integrate health and human services to increase care coordination, improve health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.

Social Determinants of Health Toolkit

Discover evidence-based models and resources to address social determinants of health in rural communities.

Suicide Prevention Toolkit

Find evidence-based models and resources for implementing a suicide prevention program in rural areas.

Telehealth Toolkit

Discover program examples and resources for developing a telehealth program to address access issues in rural America.

Transportation Toolkit

Explore how communities can provide transportation services to help rural residents maintain their health and well-being.

Unintentional Injury Prevention Toolkit

Learn about evidence-based models and resources to implement unintentional injury prevention programs in rural communities.

Archived Toolkits

These toolkits are available in PDF format but no longer updated:

Diabetes Prevention and Management Toolkit, September 2020
Find resources and best practices to develop diabetes prevention and management programs in rural areas.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Toolkit, October 2019
Learn how to develop programs to address COPD in rural communities.
Rural Obesity Prevention Toolkit, July 2017
Find out how rural communities, schools, and healthcare providers can develop programs to help address obesity.
Rural Tobacco Control and Prevention Toolkit, July 2017
Explore program examples and resources for implementing tobacco control and prevention programs in rural areas.
Rural Health Networks and Coalitions Toolkit, April 2017
Find resources and strategies to help create or expand a rural health network or coalition.
The Philanthropy Toolkit has been replaced with A Guide to Working with Rural Philanthropy, October 2023
Strategies rural organizations can use to build and sustain partnerships with philanthropies that invest in rural health.
Access to Care for Rural People with Disabilities Toolkit, December 2016
Learn about approaches rural communities can use to improve access to care for people with disabilities.

About the Evidence-based Toolkits

The evidence-based toolkits showcase program approaches that you can adapt to fit your community and the people you serve, allowing you to:

Research approaches to community health programs
Discover what works and why
Learn about common obstacles
Connect with program experts
Evaluate your program to show impact

Toolkits are developed based on a review of rural programs and initiatives and an extensive literature review, to identify evidence-based and promising models. Programs featured in the toolkit are interviewed to provide insights about their work and guidance for other rural communities interested in undertaking a similar project.

More Useful Tools

Rural Health Models and Innovations – Features rural health programs and interventions, including evidence-based approaches

Rural Community Health Gateway – Resources for every stage of program implementation, from finding an approach, to securing funding, to planning for long-term sustainability