Resources: Health and Wellness

Develops partnerships between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and community and faith-based organizations. Provides up-to-date information on federal health and human service activities and resources to help local organizations better serve their communities. Focuses on supporting grassroots efforts to address the issues of mental health, the opioid crisis, childhood obesity, and reforming and strengthening healthcare systems.

Provides training and resources to clergy members, spiritual leaders, and faith communities in rural areas on the various mental health issues faced by veterans, including issues linked to addiction and substance use. Offers education on the resources and services available to support veterans and their family members.

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.

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.

Operates 13 tribally and federally operated residential treatment facilities located across the U.S. to address substance use disorder (SUD) and/or co-occurring mental health disorders (COD) among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and their families at no cost. Provides a range of education and culture-based prevention initiatives, evidence-based and practice-based models of treatment, family strengthening and recreational activities designed to help AI/AN youth overcome challenges related to mental health and substance use. Promotes holistic, culturally responsive care that integrates clinical services with traditional healing, spiritual values, and cultural identification in a substance-free residential environment to support AI/AN youth in achieving their treatment goals and leading healthy, resilient lives.

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.

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.

Offers evidence-based, voluntary programs that provide families with regular, planned home visits from qualified health, social service, and child development professionals. Supports at-risk pregnant people and parents with children up to kindergarten entry with resources to raise physically, socially, and emotionally healthy children. Provides guidance on parenting and health topics, such as breastfeeding, safe sleep practices, injury prevention, nutrition, and childcare solutions. Seeks to improve maternal and child health, prevent child abuse and neglect, encourage positive parenting, and promote child development and school readiness.

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.

Provides technical assistance to improve and support state systems and local programs implementing the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social-Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children with, and at risk for, developmental disabilities or delays. Works with early childhood programs to reduce the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promote family engagement, use data for decision-making, integrate early childhood and infant mental health consultation, and foster inclusion.

Delivers information, resources, technical assistance, and training to K-12 schools and institutions of higher learning to assess school climate, implement evidence-based programs to improve learning conditions, and measure outcomes in 3 core areas: providing a well-rounded education, improving the safety and health of students, and improving the effective use of technology. Offers multiple products, policy guides, toolkits, research, media, online events and training related to issues of substance and opioid abuse for students, families, schools, and communities.

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.

Provides a directory of national, state, and local programs and services to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration for military service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers. Helps connect individuals to a range of services and resources, including substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support.

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.

Assists schools and school districts with the implementation of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework to improve students' social, emotional, and physical well-being, reducing disruptive behavior, and creating a positive learning environment. Uses a multi-tiered framework that reaches all students while allowing for more focused intervention and support for at-risk students and students with disabilities. Includes resources and blueprints for implementing school-wide responses to the opioid crisis and substance use. Offers direct onsite technical assistance to district and state leadership teams as well as indirect assistance through online resources, national and regional conferences, and collaborations with other technical assistance centers and organizations.

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Provides training and technical assistance to help tribal jurisdictions develop new or strengthen existing healing to wellness courts. Offers up-to-date resources on effective, evidence-based strategies to address alcohol and substance use issues among justice-involved juveniles and adults in tribal areas using a treatment court model that incorporates culturally appropriate services, trauma-informed approaches, and traditional healing practices.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.