Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas.
SAMHSA Strategic Plan 2023-2026
Details the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's framework and funding priorities for 2023-2026. Discusses priorities such as strengthening the behavioral health workforce, suicide prevention, and behavioral health integration, among other issues. Highlights behavioral health equity measures that address rural communities.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Details the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's framework and funding priorities for 2023-2026. Discusses priorities such as strengthening the behavioral health workforce, suicide prevention, and behavioral health integration, among other issues. Highlights behavioral health equity measures that address rural communities.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Health Panel Comment Letter – HHS Smoking Cessation Framework 2023
Offers comments in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Request for Information on the draft HHS 2023 Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation. Discusses tobacco use in rural areas, incorporating payment strategies to incentivize clinical providers and health plans to address tobacco cessation, the importance of culturally competent interventions, and more.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers comments in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Request for Information on the draft HHS 2023 Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation. Discusses tobacco use in rural areas, incorporating payment strategies to incentivize clinical providers and health plans to address tobacco cessation, the importance of culturally competent interventions, and more.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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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
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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
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Indian Health Service Program Evaluation Services: Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Projects FY 2021-2022 Report
Report evaluates the Indian Health Service's Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project aimed at addressing opioid use disorder in tribal communities. Collects and evaluates data from grantees after the program's first year, April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022. Explores grantees' progress in building organizational capacity, community and educational events, and professional trainings, among other measures.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Report evaluates the Indian Health Service's Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project aimed at addressing opioid use disorder in tribal communities. Collects and evaluates data from grantees after the program's first year, April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022. Explores grantees' progress in building organizational capacity, community and educational events, and professional trainings, among other measures.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Addressing the Opioid Crisis: A Look at the Evolving Landscape of Federal OUD Treatment Policies
Provides an overview of five federal policies that impacted the provision of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Covers regulations related to buprenorphine medication, methadone dispensing programs, overdose prevention and reversal methods, and leveraging Medicaid for pre- and post-release from prison OUD treatment services. Discusses how state laws may limit federal efforts.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Nirmita Panchal
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Provides an overview of five federal policies that impacted the provision of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Covers regulations related to buprenorphine medication, methadone dispensing programs, overdose prevention and reversal methods, and leveraging Medicaid for pre- and post-release from prison OUD treatment services. Discusses how state laws may limit federal efforts.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Nirmita Panchal
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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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
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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
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TIP 64: Incorporating Peer Support Into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services
Details guidelines for implementing peer support services (PSS) into programs for substance use treatment and recovery. Discusses the role of peer support workers in the recovery process in SUD treatment centers, recovery centers and residencies, and hospitals, among others. Breaks down the guidelines for PSS, such as professional supervision and peer worker training and certification. Includes a section on delivering peer support in rural areas on page 45 and other rural mentions throughout.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Details guidelines for implementing peer support services (PSS) into programs for substance use treatment and recovery. Discusses the role of peer support workers in the recovery process in SUD treatment centers, recovery centers and residencies, and hospitals, among others. Breaks down the guidelines for PSS, such as professional supervision and peer worker training and certification. Includes a section on delivering peer support in rural areas on page 45 and other rural mentions throughout.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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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
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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
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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: 3/3/2025