Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.
Filling the Gaps: Program Builds Referral and Recovery Services in Western Massachusetts
Features a rural Massachusetts coalition's work to address substance misuse and build sustainable recovery services, with support from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Discusses youth outreach and engagement, stigma reduction activities, facilitating access to services, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Features a rural Massachusetts coalition's work to address substance misuse and build sustainable recovery services, with support from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Discusses youth outreach and engagement, stigma reduction activities, facilitating access to services, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
National Rural Health Day and a Behavioral Health Community Star, with Tammy Norville and Jason Lillich
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Tammy Norville, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) CEO, and Jason Lillich, Executive Director of Three Rivers Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Center, a 2023 National Rural Health Day Community Star. Focuses on the origins of National Rural Health Day and the ongoing importance of behavioral health and substance use services for rural communities.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Tammy Norville, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) CEO, and Jason Lillich, Executive Director of Three Rivers Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Center, a 2023 National Rural Health Day Community Star. Focuses on the origins of National Rural Health Day and the ongoing importance of behavioral health and substance use services for rural communities.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
National Report: Rural Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Treatment Needs
Report explores the role of stigma among rural substance use disorder (SUD) practitioners providing care to people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Bases findings on a survey of rural SUD practitioners across the country and looks specifically at their opinion of OUD patients and OUD treatment. Highlights other perceived barriers and concerns among rural practitioners.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
view details
Report explores the role of stigma among rural substance use disorder (SUD) practitioners providing care to people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Bases findings on a survey of rural SUD practitioners across the country and looks specifically at their opinion of OUD patients and OUD treatment. Highlights other perceived barriers and concerns among rural practitioners.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
view details
Implementation of Substance Use Screening in Rural Federally-Qualified Health Center Clinics Identified High Rates of Unhealthy Alcohol and Cannabis Use among Adult Primary Care Patients
Examines the feasibility of integrating electronic health record (EHR) tools into the screening of primary care patients for substance use. Discusses the process of screening 3,749 patients at 3 rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) via EHR-integrated methods and the potential impacts of this screening method on reducing rural primary care provider burden.
Author(s): Jennifer McNeely, Bethany McLeman, Trip Gardner, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 56
Date: 09/2023
view details
Examines the feasibility of integrating electronic health record (EHR) tools into the screening of primary care patients for substance use. Discusses the process of screening 3,749 patients at 3 rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) via EHR-integrated methods and the potential impacts of this screening method on reducing rural primary care provider burden.
Author(s): Jennifer McNeely, Bethany McLeman, Trip Gardner, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 56
Date: 09/2023
view details
Rural Recovery Housing, with Ernie Fletcher and Erica Walker
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Governor Ernie Fletcher, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, and Erica Walker, Outreach and Engagement Specialist for the Fletcher Group. Focuses on recovery housing in rural communities and the different levels of support it can provide to help people healing from substance use disorders.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Governor Ernie Fletcher, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, and Erica Walker, Outreach and Engagement Specialist for the Fletcher Group. Focuses on recovery housing in rural communities and the different levels of support it can provide to help people healing from substance use disorders.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Empowering Native Families: A Youth Cannabis Prevention Toolkit for Native American Parents
Report provides guidance for American Indian and Alaska Native communities on cannabis use among children and teens. Discusses the prevalence of cannabis use by native youth and highlights strategies for addressing it. Provides links to additional resources.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Mountain Plains Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network
view details
Report provides guidance for American Indian and Alaska Native communities on cannabis use among children and teens. Discusses the prevalence of cannabis use by native youth and highlights strategies for addressing it. Provides links to additional resources.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Mountain Plains Prevention Technology Transfer Center Network
view details
Recovery in Rural America: Housing Helps Address the Substance Use Disorder Crisis
Describes the intersection of housing issues and substance use disorder (SUD) and discusses potential collaborations, innovations, and solutions. Includes examples of how rural communities across the U.S. have strategized to solve problems associated with housing and SUD.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
Describes the intersection of housing issues and substance use disorder (SUD) and discusses potential collaborations, innovations, and solutions. Includes examples of how rural communities across the U.S. have strategized to solve problems associated with housing and SUD.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
The Frontier of Harm Reduction: Expanding Services for Rural People Who Use Drugs
Describes how harm reduction approaches help reduce health risks related to substance use and explains how these approaches are being adapted in rural areas. Highlights innovative harm reduction strategies being used in rural communities in Alaska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Describes how harm reduction approaches help reduce health risks related to substance use and explains how these approaches are being adapted in rural areas. Highlights innovative harm reduction strategies being used in rural communities in Alaska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Versus Urban Veterans Health Administration Facilities
Explores rural veterans' access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Highlights VHA efforts to expand access to MOUD within VHA facilities and aims to identify access levels for rural veterans via the VA's Community Care program. Breaks down data by type of MOUD and by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Sarah Shull, Stephan Lindner, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(8), 1871-1876
Date: 06/2023
view details
Explores rural veterans' access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Highlights VHA efforts to expand access to MOUD within VHA facilities and aims to identify access levels for rural veterans via the VA's Community Care program. Breaks down data by type of MOUD and by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Sarah Shull, Stephan Lindner, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(8), 1871-1876
Date: 06/2023
view details
Rural Youth Engagement Toolkit
Toolkit provides information and strategies for engaging rural youth to address and prevent youth substance misuse in rural communities. Highlights challenges and protective factors for rural youth, details strategies for engagement, and makes policy recommendations.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
view details
Toolkit provides information and strategies for engaging rural youth to address and prevent youth substance misuse in rural communities. Highlights challenges and protective factors for rural youth, details strategies for engagement, and makes policy recommendations.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Alcohol use
- Behavioral health
- Behavioral health workforce
- Illicit drug use
- Prescription drug misuse
- Substance use and misuse
- Tobacco use
Last Updated: 12/10/2025