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Rural Response to the Opioid Crisis – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Response to the Opioid Crisis.

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
Sponsoring organization: Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mountain Plains ATTC)
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Changes in Buprenorphine Prescribing in Community Health Centers
Analyzes changes from 2016 to 2021 in prescriptions of buprenorphine in Community Health Centers (CHCs) to treat opioid addiction. Utilizes data from the OCHIN Inc network of CHCs to analyze patient and clinic/clinician characteristics, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Daniel M. Hartung, Robert W. Voss, Steffani R. Bailey, Nathalie Huguet, John Muench
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(4)
Date: 04/2024
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Evaluating a Web-Based Training Curriculum for Disseminating Best Practices for the Care of Newborns with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome in a Rural Hospital, the NOWS-NM Program
Evaluates the NOWS-NM program, a web-based training program for care of newborns with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) in rural New Mexico hospitals. Describes results of interviews with 16 providers on their experiences with NOWS and attitudes toward local NOWS treatment. Discusses stigma reduction and knowledge of non-pharmacologic NOWS treatment.
Author(s): Heather Pratt-Chavez, Heidi Rishel Brakey, Sarah G. Sanders, et al.
Citation: BMC Pediatrics, 24, 258
Date: 04/2024
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Effects of the Communities that Heal (CTH) Intervention on Perceived Opioid-Related Community Stigma in the HEALing Communities Study: Results of a Multi-Site, Community-Level, Cluster-Randomized Trial
Examines levels of community stigma toward naloxone use, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and people treated for opioid use disorder (OUD), as related to different periods during the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention. Analyzes survey data from 66 communities across 4 states by rural-urban status regarding their perceptions of OUD. Discusses implications of the intervention for rural communities addressing OUD and stigma.
Author(s): Alissa Davis, Hannah K. Knudsen, Daniel M. Walker, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 32
Date: 04/2024
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Exploring the Demographic and Professional Characteristics of Physicians and Nurse Practitioners Associated With Providing Medication-Assisted Treatment: A Retrospective Observational Study
Examines the factors that impact the likelihood of primary care physicians and nurse practitioners providing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Utilizes license renewal data to observe MAT treatment by primary care providers, with breakdowns according to demographics, medical specialty and setting, Medicaid and/or sliding fee use, and rurality.
Author(s): Hannah L. Maxey, Sierra X. Vaughn, Analise Dickinson, Robin Newhouse
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 61
Date: 03/2024
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Stakeholder Perspectives on a Telemedicine Referral and Coordination Model To Expand Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Primary Care Clinics
Examines acceptability of utilizing an external telemedicine (TM) vendor to improve access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in rural areas. Analyzes interview data from 7 rural primary care clinics and a TM-MOUD vendor to explore themes such as logistical barriers, stigma, privacy, and access. Includes demographic data on survey respondents as well as acceptability ratings.
Author(s): Allison J. Ober, Alex R. Dopp, Sarah E. Clingan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 156, 209194
Date: 01/2024
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Medicaid Coverage of Medications to Reverse Opioid Overdose and Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders
Report discusses access to medications for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) via Medicaid. Highlights policies and regulations that effect access and details Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Features a discussion about rural access.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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A Federally Qualified Health Center and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Partnership in Rural Missouri
Case study describing a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program partnership between a Federally Qualified Health Center and a certified community behavioral health clinic in rural southwest Missouri. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers interested in a similar partnership.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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El Dorado Community Health Centers: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in Rural California through Community Partnerships
Case study describing how El Dorado Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in California, works with a community coalition to address the opioid epidemic and implement a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Among the American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) Population Aged 12 or Older
Highlights data from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health pertaining specifically to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) over the age of 12. Compares AI/AN rates of drug use and mental illness, as well as co-occurring disorders, to rates for the U.S. as a whole.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 4/2/2025