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SUD presents unique challenges in rural communities, but resources and solutions are available. The Rural SUD Info Center is a connection point to those tools—whether related to prevention, treatment, or recovery. 

Prevention

Click to explore popular toolkits and resources on Prevention

SAMHSA 988 Crisis Line
The course will help learners to understand what the 988 Crisis Lifeline is, how it …
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Recovery Communities Organizations 101
This course covers the definition of recovery community organization(RCO), describes the types of RCO’s that …
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Overdose Response Teams
ORTs are a multi-agency, harm reduction response unit that delivers support and person-centered services to …
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Motivational Interviewing: Evidence-Based Strategies and Principles for Guiding Conversations With Your Patients
In this session, Dr. Jackson shares practical ways to implement and utilize motivational interviewing (MI) …
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Improving Prevention and Care Outcomes for LGBTQ People: Safer Spaces and Better Data Collection
This article describes key points in a presentation given by Dr. Blosnich (Assistant Professor and …
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For Two Award Winning Authors, Community is Crucial to Overcoming the Opioid Crisis
This article summarizes important points from the keynote speeches given by two award-winning authors at …
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Overdose Response Teams
ORTs are a multi-agency, harm reduction response unit that delivers support and person-centered services to …
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Resources for an Evolving Crisis: Preventing Overdose from Combined Substances
The aim of this resource page is to provide communities including health and human services …
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Facts for Life: Drug Interaction and Overdose
Fact sheet describing the interaction of multiple drugs and ways to prevent overdose.
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SAMHSA 988 Crisis Line
The course will help learners to understand what the 988 Crisis Lifeline is, how it …
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Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Treatment Seeking
This article and toolkit describes CBT for Treatment Seeking (CBT-TS). The program seeks to overcome …
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988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Increasing Awareness to Save Lives
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, launched in July, provides a fast way for people …
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Treatment

Click to explore popular toolkits and resources on Treatment

Recovery Communities Organizations 101
This course covers the definition of recovery community organization(RCO), describes the types of RCO’s that …
View
Overdose Response Teams
ORTs are a multi-agency, harm reduction response unit that delivers support and person-centered services to …
View
SMART Recovery: An Overview
Overview of the SMART Recovery mutual aid group program that uses self-empowerment to encourage lasting …
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SBIRT for Unhealthy Alcohol Use
In this webinar, Dr. Rose presents the origins of SBIRT and summarizes the evidence for …
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Peer Recovery as an Evidence-Based Practice: From Science to Impact
The presentation focuses on how peer recovery models of care can help rural recovery communities …
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Alcohol Use Disorder in the Primary Care Setting: Best Practices for Rural Communities
Our panel addresses the extent of rural alcohol use, specific rural barriers to treatment, clinical …
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Illicit Drug Supply: Fentanyl and Xylazine
This webinar presentation explores current information about fentanyl and xylazine including drug supply information, pharmacology, …
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Overdose Response Teams
ORTs are a multi-agency, harm reduction response unit that delivers support and person-centered services to …
View
Understanding the Harm Reduction Approach: Principles and Practice
This presentation outlines history, principles, and practices of harm reduction to reduce stigma and harm …
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Strategies for Distributing Intranasal Naloxone to Rural Communities
This presentation explores the need for naloxone distribution in rural areas, and discusses innovative methods …
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Implementing Medication-Assisted Recovery
Strategies to streamline access to addiction treatment medications and creating equitable policies and procedures.
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How to Prevent MAT-Related Discrimination
Information on developing non-discriminating policies in rural recovery housing based on FHA and ADA.
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Fundraising for Rural Recovery Houses
The viability of rural recovery houses can be strengthened through effective and well-thought-out fundraising efforts. …
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Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder in Women
This webinar reviews the literature on the development of chronic opioid use disorder in women, …
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Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorders
The presentation reviews new data on the neuropsychiatric and other medical effects of stimulants, and …
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Suicide and Substance Use Disorders
Approximately 40% of patients seeking treatment for SUDs report a history of suicide attempts. This …
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Treatment and Assessment of Co-occurring PTSD and SUDs
This webinar by Dr. Peck provides a definition of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) …
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Evidence-Based Treatment of PTSD in Individuals with OUD, and Innovative Approaches for Increasing Access to Care in Rural Communities
This presentation discusses effective treatment approaches for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with co-occurring …
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Smartphone-based Financial Incentives to Promote Smoking Cessation Among Pregnant Women
This webinar reviews the research, development, and outcomes produced by an innovative intervention with remotely-delivered …
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Reaching People Where They’re At: Smoking Cessation Treatment Delivery at Your Door
This webinar presentation discusses novel ways to deliver evidence-based treatment for smoking cessation within and …
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Applying Motivation-Phase Interventions to Treat Tobacco Use Among People with Opioid Use Disorder
This webinar presentation is on the importance of tobacco treatment for people with opioid use …
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Recovery

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A New Path Forward: Harnessing the Benefits of Relational Employment for Those in Recovery
Rob and Diane Perez of DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, KY, partner with the Fletcher Group …
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Opening a Bank Account in 7 Easy Steps
Microlearning course on opening a bank account and improving financial literacy.
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Recovery Communities Organizations 101
This course covers the definition of recovery community organization(RCO), describes the types of RCO’s that …
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Recovery Allies: Understanding Recovery Capital and Building Recovery-Friendly Communities
The course outlines how you can become a recovery ally, support recovery ecosystems, and be …
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Building Rural Recovery Ecosystems Summit
Highlights of the June 2022 Fletcher Group RCOE Rural Recovery Housing Summit.
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Overdose Response Teams
ORTs are a multi-agency, harm reduction response unit that delivers support and person-centered services to …
View
Recovery Allies: Understanding Recovery Capital and Building Recovery-Friendly Communities
The course outlines how you can become a recovery ally, support recovery ecosystems, and be …
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How Rural Recovery Residents Can Practice Self Care
This course provides an overview of self-care and why it is important for everyone, particularly …
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Building Rural Recovery Ecosystems Summit
Highlights of the June 2022 Fletcher Group RCOE Rural Recovery Housing Summit.
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Rural Recovery House Management – Understanding & Responding to NIMBYism in Rural Communities
NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) is a characterization of opposition by residents in a …
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A Campaign to Reduce Stigma
“Individuals impacted by opioid use disorder (OUD) met with artist Charmaine Wheatley to have their …
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Reducing Stigma in Rural EDs and Other Care Settings
This campaign aims to promote a stigma-free care environment while connecting individuals and families with …
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(MARR) Recovery Residences – How We Know They Work
Dr. Corey Vilsaint discusses the evidence supporting the success of recovery residences for those with …
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Why Evaluation Matters
Find out why evaluation matters to your rural recovery house, what data is the most …
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Intermediate Evaluation
This course will consist of five modules covering resident outcomes of interest, construction and use …
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A New Path Forward: Harnessing the Benefits of Relational Employment for Those in Recovery
Rob and Diane Perez of DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, KY, partner with the Fletcher Group …
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Seven Strategies to Tame Stress
This course teaches you to tame stress by understanding healthy and unhealthy coping strategies. Then, …
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The Basics of Managing Stress
This course takes you through the basics of managing stress and implementing them as part …
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Policy

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How to be an Ally for Diversity and Inclusion
This course provides some tips on how you can become an ally for diversity and …
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What Are You Thinking? An Exploration of Thinking Styles
The Whole Brain? Model is a time tested framework to decode and harness the cognitive …
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Justice: Post-Adjudication
This course is an overview of the justice system while also discussing issues addressing SUD …
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A Qualitative Analysis of US State Laws Regulating Incentives for Health Behavior
This presentation describes the results of a qualitative study examining state laws regulating incentives for …
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Recommendations for Culturally Recentering Reinforcement-Based Substance Use Disorder Interventions in Collaboration with Rural Tribal Communities
This webinar presentation covers strategies providers may use to culturally adapt and implement contingency management …
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Implementing Medication-Assisted Recovery
Strategies to streamline access to addiction treatment medications and creating equitable policies and procedures.
View
How to Prevent MAT-Related Discrimination
Information on developing non-discriminating policies in rural recovery housing based on FHA and ADA.
View
Resources for Monitoring Substance Use Trends
This article describes the websites for federal agencies and national or international organizations which can …
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What Are You Thinking? An Exploration of Thinking Styles
The Whole Brain? Model is a time tested framework to decode and harness the cognitive …
View
How to be an Ally for Diversity and Inclusion
This course provides some tips on how you can become an ally for diversity and …
View
A Deeper Dive into ASAM’s Recent Criteria Changes
Fletcher Group Rural SUD and Recovery Housing Specialist Anne Shields does a deeper dive into …
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Motivational Interviewing: Evidence-Based Strategies and Principles for Guiding Conversations With Your Patients
In this session, Dr. Jackson shares practical ways to implement and utilize motivational interviewing (MI) …
View
Behavioral Health Care Managers: An Approach to Integrating Behavioral Health in Rural Primary Care Practices
This article discusses a model for integrating Behavioral Health into rural primary care practices, recognizing …
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Transitions Clinic Network Programs
Transitions Clinic Network (TCN) programs address the high rates of overdose mortality among people recently …
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Identifying SUD Bias and Addressing Stigma in the Clinical Setting
This presentation outlines practical approaches to identifying personal bias and addressing stigma in the clinical …
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Pregnancy, Parenting, And Substance Use: Stigma, Fear and a Call for Improved Messaging to our Families
This presentation covers unique barriers that people with opioid use disorder face when pregnant and …
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Tony Hoffman Highlights the Cost of Institutional Stigma
This article summarizes the main points from a keynote address at the Taking Action Summit …
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Justice: Post-Adjudication
This course is an overview of the justice system while also discussing issues addressing SUD …
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Justice & Correctional Initiatives
Focus on person-centered approaches and the impact of discrimination on those in the legal and …
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Justice: Pre-Adjudication
The course provides a glossary of commonly used terms and gives an overview of the …
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Funding & Reimbursement

Click to explore popular toolkits and resources on Funding & Reimbursement

A Deeper Dive into ASAM’s Recent Criteria Changes
Fletcher Group Rural SUD and Recovery Housing Specialist Anne Shields does a deeper dive into …
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Recovery Residences and 4th Edition ASAM
Thanks to recent changes in the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria, recovery housing is …
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Beginning Your Rural Grant Seeking Journey
The course covers the resourcing, relationship-building, and other topics for rural recovery housing fundraising and …
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Beginning Your Rural Grant Seeking Journey
The course covers the resourcing, relationship-building, and other topics for rural recovery housing fundraising and …
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How to Write Winning Grants
Show me the money! Grant writer and former grant reviewer Pamela Baston shares the grant …
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Fundraising for Rural Recovery Houses
The viability of rural recovery houses can be strengthened through effective and well-thought-out fundraising efforts. …
View
Beginning Your Rural Grant Seeking Journey
The course covers the resourcing, relationship-building, and other topics for rural recovery housing fundraising and …
View
Budgeting for Rural Recovery Residences
This course covers the basics of recovery house financing considerations, including capital expenses, operating expenses, …
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(MARR) Recovery Residences – How We Know They Work
In this video from the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), Dr. Corey Vilsaint–a community …
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Search For Resources:

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Fletcher Group Economic Calculator

Learn more about the economic benefits of your SUD program.

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Need for a recovery related surveillance system

Justifying the need for a recovery related surveillance system: Exploratory focused interviews

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Recovery Allies: Understanding Recovery Capital and Building Recovery-Friendly Communities

The course outlines how you can become a recovery ally, support recovery ecosystems, and be part of recovery capital development. She shares the Pillars of Recovery, shares real world examples, and provides ways groups can work.

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(MARR) Recovery Residences – How We Know They Work

In this video from the Maine Association of Recovery Residences (MARR), Dr. Corey Vilsaint–a community research psychology fellow at Harvard Medical School, discusses the evidence supporting the efficacy of recovery residences for people with SUD. The video is the first part in a course series about recovery residences.

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(Arcari) Project Management – Sponsor Engagement

Engaging the sponsor for your recovery house project.

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The Intersectionality of Women, SUD, Trauma, and the Criminal Legal System (Summit 2022)

Illustrates the invisible power relations created by trauma and the legal system for women with SUD and how it shapes identity and inequality.

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Why Evaluation Matters

Find out why evaluation matters to your rural recovery house, what data is the most valuable to collect, and how to evaluate and use the data you secure.

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www
(MARR) Recovery Residences – How We Know They Work

Dr. Corey Vilsaint discusses the evidence supporting the success of recovery residences for those with SUD.

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Not finding what you're looking for?
Advanced Search

Welcome to the Rural SUD Info Center, a collection of best practices, tools, and research for rural communities as they work to build and strengthen a comprehensive approach to substance use disorder (SUD). These resources offer support to rural providers/partners, recovery specialists, rural community members, and more.

Centers
Quick Links

This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of awards totaling $10 million with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

FAQs

How can I learn more about the resources and services that are specifically available in my local area?

We encourage all visitors to the Rural SUD Info website to also explore additional resources and services available through the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA),  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or Rural Health Information Hub (RHIHub).

How often are the Rural SUD Info Center materials updated?

Materials are updated on a quarterly basis.

How can I contact the Rural SUD Info Center?

Visit the request assistance page. https://ruralsudinfo.org/request-assistance/

Is there an Urban SUD Resource Center?

There is not an equivalent Urban SUD Resource Center. However, all of the information and tools on this website are available to the public, regardless of location or grant status. 

What are the Rural Centers of Excellence?

The RCOEs were established in 2019 by the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), an initiative of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that aims to reduce morbidity and mortality related to SUD in rural areas.

Myself, or someone I know, is in a crisis. What should I do?

Please call or text 988, or visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis

What is the Rural SUD Info Center?

The Rural SUD Info Center is a collection of best practices, tools, and research for rural communities building and strengthening a comprehensive approach to substance use disorder (SUD). These resources offer support to rural providers/partners, recovery specialists, rural community members, and more.

What resources are available for providers and patients?

Resources available for providers and patients include the Clearinghouse Resource Page. We also encourage visitors to fill out a technical assistance (TA) request for implementation support.

Where can I find rural providers in my area?

We encourage our visitors to use resources found throughout the Rural SUD Info
Center, along with Health
Resources & Services Administration, Rural
Health Information Hub, and the three RCOEs
to locate rural providers in your area.

Where can I find previous versions of toolkits?

All old versions of toolkits and resources are archived and can be retrieved through a request via the request assistance form.

Who operates the Rural SUD Info Center?

The Rural SUD Info Center is operated by the three RCORP-Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders, which are funded by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

In Crisis? Call or Text 988