Hot Topics / Priority Issues

Issue Brief: Expanding Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Rural America

Many rural Americans have much worse access to addiction treatment and recovery services for opioid use disorder (OUD) than those living in suburbs or cities, due to increased stigma, a dearth of trained providers, and a lack of social supports. In a new issue brief, we hear from four FORE grantees who are finding innovative ways of increasing access to treatment. The models Allegheny Health Network, Cabin Creek Health System, the Foundation for Healthy Communities, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill together with the Mountain Area Health Education Center are developing and testing demonstrated core components of what’s needed to establish a systematic approach to expanding access to treatment in hard-to-reach rural communities.