Resources: Teleservices and Technology

Consists of a network of 10 regional centers, a central coordinating office, a National Hispanic and Latino ATTC, and a National American Indian and Alaska Native ATTC working in addiction treatment and recovery services. Promotes awareness and new and evidence-based practices and services for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Facilitates the adoption of new technology by addiction treatment and recovery service providers. Offers education, training, resources, and information for the behavioral healthcare workforce in rural areas.

Provides a review of relevant research focused on the delivery of behavioral healthcare in disaster response in rural and remote areas. Describes the unique needs and challenges of providing behavioral health services to rural and isolated communities as a part of the wider response to natural or man-made disasters. Discusses different approaches to address behavioral health needs after a disaster or crisis, covering the areas of government and policy, community initiatives, and telebehavioral health.

Public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and nonprofit, private, corporate, philanthropic, community, and local government stakeholders working to develop solutions to decrease the digital divide. Helps communities increase opportunities, information, and services with technology to help HUD-assisted residents' with their educational, professional, and health needs. Provides access to resources and includes success stories from tribal and rural communities.

Provides information and guidance to rural communities on establishing deflection and pre-arrest diversion (DPAD) programs. Promotes the use of DPAD to reduce criminal justice system involvement for people who use drugs and those with substance use disorders and help link them to evidence-based treatment services. Describes challenges to implementing DPAD programs in rural areas and offers strategies and resources to address these barriers. Includes example projects from 2 rural communities.

Provides technical assistance to rural healthcare providers in the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) service area in order to enhance healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for residents in communities in the Delta region. Supports small rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and other healthcare organizations seeking to strengthen local healthcare systems by addressing gaps in service and improving quality to better meet community health needs.

Provides an overview and highlights the benefits of using digital therapeutics (DTx) health software to treat or alleviate behavioral health conditions. Offers information on DTx research, regulatory and reimbursement considerations, and advice for providers on how to select and implement DTx in their practice. Describes issues related to DTx, behavioral health equity, and potential barriers to access, including in rural areas.

Evaluates 7 states participating in CMS's Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model, which is designed to support delivery system transformation for pregnant and postpartum people enrolled in Medicaid who have opioid use disorder (OUD). Provides an overview of program activities for implementation year 2 from July 2022 to June 2023, including adoption, implementation, reach, and sustainability of the model, as well as the model's outcomes and effectiveness. Discusses barriers and other factors affecting care in rural areas.

Provides an evaluation of a comprehensive behavioral health treatment approach taken by 1 rural county jail in Massachusetts utilizing telehealth for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers results, findings, and lessons learned from Franklin County Sheriff's Office's experience providing all 3 federally approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and counseling through telehealth to individuals in the jail during the pandemic.

Manages the Indian Health Service (IHS) wide area network, which enables the effective use of electronic health records (EHR) and ensures the secure exchange of electronic health information (EHI) between healthcare providers in order to improve healthcare quality and efficiency. Provides internet access and network connectivity to over 400 federal, tribal, and urban healthcare facilities in the IHS Wide Area Network that serve American Indian and Alaska Native people across 35 states, as well as to healthcare partners, such as insurance providers, laboratory services, and pharmacies.

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, drug checking, 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).

Provides guidance to policymakers, communities, and key stakeholders to develop and implement system- and practice-level changes to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Presents results from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative's HEALing Communities Study. Outlines priority populations and 19 evidence-based interventions to prevent and reduce opioid related overdose deaths. Offers resources on various topics related to opioid overdose and highlights model programs, including those serving rural areas.

Provides tele-consultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination using telehealth to help providers integrate behavioral healthcare services into pediatric primary care. Supports the use of telehealth and other technologies to improve the ability of providers to diagnose, treat, and refer children with mental health conditions. Seeks to increase access to treatment and referral services for children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions in rural and underserved areas.

Consists of a network of 10 regional resource centers, a central coordinating office, a National Hispanic and Latino PTTC, and a National American Indian and Alaska Native PTTC that work to support effective substance use prevention interventions. Develops and disseminates education, training, resources, and information to raise awareness and promote the implementation of evidence-based prevention practices. Facilitates the adoption of new technology by individuals and organizations working in the field of substance use prevention. PTTC focus areas include community coalitions and collaborators; health equity and inclusion; data-informed decisions; implementation science; cannabis prevention; and workforce development.

Offers technical assistance for clinicians in small, underserved, and rural practices to participate in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program (QPP), which establishes value-based payment systems and models for clinicians serving Medicare patients. Help participants understand QPP requirements, learn about flexible options for small practices, and implement measures to improve quality and efficiency.

Shares national guidelines for behavioral health crisis care best practice toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and a 2020 technical assistance paper series focused on crisis services. Offers information to support mental health authorities, agency administrators, service providers, and other state and local leaders in the design, development, implementation, and quality improvement of behavioral health crisis systems. Details components of crisis services and best practices, along with tools for implementing and evaluating care that aligns with national guidelines. Addresses key issues related to crisis services, including homelessness, technology advances, substance use, legal issues, financing crisis care, diverse populations, children and adolescents, rural and frontier areas, and the role of law enforcement.

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.