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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and faith-based initiatives

Trilogies: Lessons from 50 Years Facilitating Community-Based Health Assessments and Planning in Appalachia
Presents case studies from rural Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia, in which community input was used to encourage organizational change and collaboration when formulating community-based health assessments. Offers tried-and-tested techniques that may help organizations meet their goals.
Author(s): Bruce Behringer
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(1):148–162
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Implementing Harm Reduction Initiatives in Rural Communities
Webinar recording discusses substance use harm reduction, such as safe syringe services. Features a discussion of Project Hope in Menominee, WI and highlights it's successes and challenges in establishing community buy-in and financial sustainability, among other topics.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Author(s): Eric Atkinson
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains ATTC)
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National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
Report highlights the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) 10-year government-wide suicide prevention strategy. Features a 15-goal plan covering community-based suicide prevention; treatment and crisis services; surveillance, quality improvement, and research; and health equity in suicide prevention. Discusses rural populations and the barriers to suicide prevention in rural areas.
Additional links: Federal Action Plan
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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The Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H. (Trust, Research, Understand, Teach, and Heal) Project—A Tribal Community–Academic Partnership for Understanding the Impact of Structural Factors on Perceived Cancer Risk in Rural Virginia
Provides an overview of the Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H. Project, a community–academic partnership between the Virginia Chickahominy Indian Tribe and Virginia Commonwealth University. Designed to investigate perceived cancer risk in Charles City County, Virginia; assess cancer knowledge, care access gaps, and perceived risks; and develop culturally tailored cancer education and resource navigation. Based on data from 50 in-person interviews and water tests near an area with significantly elevated cancer incidence rates.
Additional links: Supplemental Materials
Author(s): Katherine Y. Tossas, Bianca D. Owens, Savannah Reitzel, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(3), 262
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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A Participatory Trust-Building Model for Conducting Health Equity Research With Rural and Urban Native American, Black, and Latinx Communities: WEAVE NM (Wide Engagement for Assessing Vaccine Equity in New Mexico)
Highlights an intervention that aims to increase vaccine equity, engagement, and community trust among rural and urban Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people in New Mexico. The community-based participatory research initiative explores social and cultural elements that shape engagement with the broader community and the effect this has on public health outcomes.
Author(s): Lisa Cacari Stone, Anabel Canchola, Elroy Keetso, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 114(Suppl 1), S41–S44
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Educational Intervention to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Rural Patients with Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from An Innovative Academic–Community Partnership
Results of a study using an educational intervention to increase vaccine knowledge and vaccine acceptance in rural patients with chronic diseases in West Virginia. Uses data from an academic–community partnership comprising researchers, practitioners, community organizations, community-engaged partners, and patient stakeholders.
Author(s): Ranjita Misra, Brenna Kirk, Samantha Shawley-Brzoska, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 71
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Empowering Change: Promoting and Expanding Evidence-Based Programs in Rural Communities: A Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations
Toolkit identifying strategies to plan, implement, and sustain evidence-based health promotion programs in rural areas with a focus on the needs of older adults. Highlights partnerships, transportation, technology, and marketing and outreach for their ability to successfully impact health promotion programs.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Aging
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Practical Guide for Expanding the Community-Based Behavioral Health Workforce
Explores the role of community-initiated care (CIC) and behavioral health support specialists (BHSS) in filling gaps in behavioral healthcare services and supporting community wellness. Provides guidance, strategies, and best practices for addressing behavioral health disparities in underserved communities and expanding the BHSS and CIC workforce.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Compendium of Best Practices for Rural Age-Friendly Care
Offers best practices, models of care, policies, and more related to offering age-friendly care in rural settings. Covers care coordination, caregiving support, behavioral health, community programming, community health workers, the 4Ms, and state-level priorities.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, The John A. Hartford Foundation
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Recommendations for Local Suicide Prevention Infrastructure
Presents a report detailing local infrastructure recommendations for suicide prevention. Discusses suicide prevention strategies, makes recommendations for partnerships, and implementation guidance for programs at the local level. Highlights considerations for rural communities and explores the role of culture in suicide prevention.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
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