Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Human services

Families in Crisis: The Human Service Implications of Rural Opioid Misuse
Presents findings and policy recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services' 2016 meeting with rural residents, healthcare providers, and stakeholders regarding the impact and effects of opioid use disorders on rural families. Topics addressed include drug overdose and death, conflict with partners and children, emotional disturbance, adverse health risks, and related impacts on employment and economic sustainability.
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Aging Veterans in the United States: A Snapshot of Older Veterans and Their Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics
A discussion of veterans 55 years and older living in the United States. Includes information about the disproportionate number of older veterans in rural areas and the need for housing and other support services to help them. Includes data and statistics regarding both urban and rural veterans.
Date: 05/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
Columbia Gorge Region, Oregon and Washington: 2016 RWJF Culture of Health Prize Winner
Describes how the communities within the Columbia Gorge region took a collaborative approach by developing a 15-member community advisory committee that included Medicaid recipients and Latino residents. Top concerns addressed by this committee were food, housing, jobs and transportation, along with improved access to dental and mental health, and better coordination among social services and healthcare providers. Projects included expanding the use and training of community health workers (CHWs) to assist Latino residents when navigating programs outside of healthcare and the development of a fruit and vegetable prescription program to support increased intake of healthy foods. A collective impact specialist was hired to help solve community problems through collaborative efforts, and to find grants and other sources of funding to support their projects. Columbia Gorge Region is a recipient of the 2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize.
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details
The Two Georgias: Addressing Health Equity in Rural Georgia
A series of articles discussing health disparities between rural and urban Georgia. Includes sections devoted to literature reviews, qualitative research, population science, needs assessments, and public health practices. Topics range from rural hospital closure, access and use of EMS services, and teen pregnancy, to social determinants of health as connected to childcare programs.
Citation: Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association, 5(4), 294-404
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Public Health Association
view details
Health Equity Series: Food Insecurity
Reports on disparities related to food security in Missouri. Includes a brief history of the topic and a discussion on food access. Covers other socio-economic factors that can contribute to food insecurity. Sections 15 and 20 focus specifically on rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Cindy Calender
Date: 12/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Foundation for Health
view details
Menominee Nation, WI: 2015 Culture of Health Prize Winner
Describes how members of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin are using a trauma-informed care model that provides social and behavioral health services to address the root causes of the excessive high school dropout rate within their tribal community. By recognizing the two main causes, poverty and trauma, healthcare providers were able to adjust their approach to patient-centered care and offer same day appointments, providing the help when needed. Menominee Nation is a recipient of the 2015 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize.
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details
Webinar: Serving Transgender Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence Webinar
Webinar produced for the Nebraska Coalition discussing transgender and gender-nonconforming vocabulary, cultural competency, and rates of sexual violence and domestic violence. Describes the role of human service and healthcare providers in increasing access to care, including rural service delivery and particular issues facing rural trans populations. Presents statistical data on transgender demographics and rates of violence.
Date: 08/2015
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: FORGE
view details
From Rural Poverty to Rural Prosperity: A Lesson in Quilting
Describes the roles that education, healthcare, employment, and human services play in supporting the well-being of rural children and families. Discusses how the availability of these supports can help those living in poverty.
Author(s): Kathleen Belanger
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Participation in Government Programs, 2009-2012: Who Gets Assistance?
Provides information on the characteristics and participation rates of people receiving benefits from Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and general assistance. Tables in the appendices include metropolitan and non-metropolitan participation rates by program.
Author(s): Shelley K. Irving, Tracy A. Loveless
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Intimate Partner Violence in Rural America
Policy brief examining rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) affecting women in rural areas. Discusses factors affecting IPV rates, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), poverty, rural human services infrastructure, and rural healthcare. Offers policy recommendations to address rural IPV.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details