Information Resources for Health and Wellness

Expanding Access to and Use of Behavioral Health Services for People Experiencing Homelessness

Shares strategies, considerations, and information for behavioral health and other healthcare practitioners working to expand access to mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for people experiencing homelessness. Highlights 4 case studies of organizations working to address mental health and SUD among populations experiencing homelessness, including a rural specific example located in Colorado.

Date: 01/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Health and Healthcare in Frontier Areas Topic Guide

Provides an overview of health and healthcare in frontier areas. Answers frequently asked questions on the topic, details successful rural model program examples, and links to additional resources and information for funding, events, and related organizations.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Implementing Peer Support Services in Small and Rural Law Enforcement Agencies

Discusses key considerations for small and rural law enforcement agencies seeking to establish and maintain peer support services. Promotes peer support as part of a wellness strategy for police officers dealing with substance use, mental, or physical health issues related to working in a high stress occupation. Provides action steps for peer support program design as well as promising practices and lessons learned from 3 small and rural departments currently utilizing peer support.

Date: 2023
Sponsor: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)
Indian Health Service (IHS) Office of Clinical and Preventive Services (OCPS)

Provides an overview of Indian Health Service's (IHS) Office of Clinical and Preventive Services (OCPS) which is responsible for developing and managing clinical, preventive, and public health programs for IHS that cover a wide range of services, including alcohol and substance use and other behavioral health programs. Serves as an advocate for Native American health issues at the national level. Sets policy and budget priorities for IHS Area Offices and health facilities. Offers technical support to local clinical and preventive health programs.

Sponsor: Indian Health Service (IHS)
Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study: Findings Report

Shares the results of the Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study (MDPS), a pilot program to determine the lifetime and past-year prevalence rates of schizophrenia spectrum disorders; past-year bipolar I disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa; and past-year alcohol, opioid, cannabis, stimulant, and sedative/hypnotic/anxiolytic use disorders. Includes statistics and data on rural areas.

Date: 2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit

Shares guidance to support the design, development, implementation, and quality improvement of behavioral health program to best meet the needs of individuals who experience a mental health crisis. Defines national guidelines for crisis care and outlines tips and tools to support those guidelines. Includes discussion of unique challenges rural and frontier communities face, and recommends approaches for those working with rural and frontier populations focused on increasing access to behavioral health crisis services.

Date: 02/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)

Offers access to national and state-level survey data on the health status of children in the U.S. Includes data on children ages 0-17 and examines factors related to the well-being and healthcare needs of children, including accessing and using healthcare services, family relationships and health, school and after school activities, and neighborhood characteristics. Includes data on physical and mental health conditions, health insurance type and status, healthcare access and utilization, specialty care, nutrition, health activities, and more.

Sponsor: Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
Opioid Stewardship in the Indian Health Service (IHS)

Offers comprehensive information and resources on the use of prescription opioids, managing chronic pain, and opioid use disorder (OUD) for patients and providers, specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and Indian Health Service (IHS) providers. Includes online tools, technical assistance resources, guides, and training for patients and providers on topics such as opioid crisis data, opioid prevention, proper pain management, opioid prescribing/stewardship, culturally appropriate practices, maternal health, harm reduction, naloxone use, child health and wellness, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), tele-MAT, trauma-informed care, best practices, supportive services, wellness courts, and training opportunities. Resource is an initiative of the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Branch (ASAB).

Sponsor: Indian Health Service (IHS)
Policy Priority Roundtable Summary Report: Improving Buprenorphine Access in Pharmacy Settings

Highlights discussion and policy priorities from a August 2022 virtual roundtable meeting focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the barriers and challenges related to buprenorphine access in pharmacy settings the U.S. Includes specific observations and recommendations to improve buprenorphine access in pharmacy settings in rural areas.

Date: 11/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Rural Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit

Highlights evidence-based and promising models and related resources to implement, evaluate, and build sustainable health promotion and disease prevention programs in rural communities.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Rural Health Research Center Publications on Frontier Health

Lists policy briefs, working papers, journal articles, and other related research projects on frontier health published by federally-funded Rural Health Research Centers.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Rural Sheriffs and Judges Workshop Highlights

Video recording sharing highlights from a December 13-14, 2018 workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee attended by rural sheriffs and judges. Workshop hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to brainstorm ideas and discuss new methods to address the opioid crisis.

Date: 12/2018
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
Rural Tribal Health Topic Guide

Provides an overview of rural tribal health. Answers frequently asked questions on the topic, details successful rural model program examples, and links to additional resources and information for funding, events, and related organizations.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Equity Program (BHEP)

Offers information and resources to support and promote behavioral health equity by removing barriers and providing prevention and treatment services for mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Includes links to data, reports, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs and federal programs and initiatives for the following populations: Hispanic or Latino; Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI); American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN); Black or African Americans; and the LGBTQ+ populations.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Tribal Affairs and Policy

Provides an overview of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy (OTAP) that seeks to address behavioral health issues facing American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Details programs, policy and advisory resources, and supports to promote self-sufficiency, prevent and treat substance use disorder (SUD), offer recovery and support services, reduce violence and suicide rates, and increase access to behavioral health services.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Teens Linked to Care (TLC)

Details a school-centered pilot project that examined implementing strategies to prevent youth substance use and risky sexual behaviors in high-risk rural communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Highlights efforts to address related issues of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), teen pregnancy, and high-risk substance use through education, primary prevention, and early detection screening. Program activities included implementing new health curricula, partnering with health departments and community drug-free coalitions, and developing and distributing informational products and video campaigns.

Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program

Provides an overview of the Title V Maternal Child Health Services Block Grant (MCHB) that works to support and improve the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families. Discusses the goals of Title V funding, who receives MCHB funds and services, how outcomes are measured, and other resources provided through the program.

Sponsor: Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
TLC: Teens Linked to Care Toolkit

Serves as a planning resource for schools and stakeholders interested in implementing the Teens Linked to Care (TLC) program, an integrated prevention strategy to address both substance use and risky sexual behavior in youth living in rural communities. Outlines the 4 phases of the TLC program, and shares tools and other resources to help schools support sexual health and substance use education and policies.

Date: 03/2023
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
VA PBM: Academic Detailing Services (ADS) - Educational Materials

Provides access to education materials developed by the VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services (PBM) Academic Detailing Services (ADS) sharing evidence-based treatments to help providers improve the health of veterans. Offers provider and patient education tools and outreach resources to encourage evidence-based decision making for a variety of medical conditions and diseases, including opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD), pain, suicide, dementia, depression, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.

Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
VA Rural Health Enterprise-Wide Initiatives

Describes the enterprise-wide initiatives currently supported by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health. Shares the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) national programs to provide healthcare services in VA hospitals and health systems to veterans residing in rural areas across the nation. Outlines programs to address primary care, specialty care, mental health, care coordination, workforce training and education, transportation, and more. Includes virtual training for providers on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery, as well as a pharmacy-based program to increase access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for rural veterans with opioid use disorder.

Sponsor: VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH)
VA Whole Health

Describes a patient-centered approach to healthcare that supports veterans' overall physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness through a personalized health plan and health inventory assessment. Includes veteran-led wellness courses. Offers educational materials, online tools, mobile applications, videos, and resources designed to assist veterans in adopting whole health approaches and for healthcare providers in implementing a whole health perspective in their clinical practices.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Offers evidence-based information, recommendations, guides, and tools for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare providers and patients to assist in the decision making process to improve the treatment and outcomes for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), methamphetamine use, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Describes best practices to help patients avoid preventable complications, reduce substance use, and improve their overall health and wellness.

Date: 2021
Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain

Offers evidence-based information, recommendations, guides, and tools to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare providers and patients to assist in the decision making process to improve the health and treatment of patients with chronic pain. Includes information and algorithms for determining the appropriateness, risks, duration, and frequency of opioid therapy to prioritize safe and effective opioid prescribing practices.

Date: 2022
Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Young Children Who Are Exposed Prenatally to Substances and Their Families

Provides information for state and local early intervention systems regarding the prevalence of infants and toddlers prenatally exposed to substances, and resources and supports needed to promote positive outcomes for these infants and their families. Shares links to key research, policy, guidance and state examples, and evidence-based practices for supporting young children exposed prenatally to substances and their families.

Sponsor: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)