Trainings and Resources

Researchers looked at what happens in rural and urban emergency departments (EDs) when peer-based services are used for patients arriving with opioid use disorder (OUD).  The study aimed to find gaps in knowledge for rural EDs and found five key differences from urban counterparts that presented a challenge.  Among these was difficulty identifying community partners.

On May 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 who completed their primary vaccination more than five months ago. The CDC also strengthened its recommendation that those 12 and older who are immunocompromised and those 50 and older should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first.  Visit COVID.gov to find nearby locations for masks, testing, vaccines, and treatment. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Association of Counties, and State Justice Institute (SJI) are co-sponsoring the Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions initiative. BJA, CDC, and SJI are supporting this initiative as part of an ongoing interagency partnership to strengthen public safety and public health collaboration under BJA’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program.

In August 2022, HRSA announced investments of nearly $60 million in combined awards across five programs to increase access to quality health care in rural communities. These programs address workforce shortages, the sustainability of small rural hospitals, and high quality care to rural veterans.

OMNI Institute, in partnership with the JBS RCORP-TA team, had five sessions of the Data Learning Collaborative (LC).

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) provided details on efforts to increase community-level access to vaccines, testing, and treatment.  As of July 26, there are 3,591 confirmed cases across 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.  The virus can spread from person-to-person in different ways.

A new brief from the National Center for Health Statistics gives geographic detail on the latest increase in overdose death rates. Overall, urban counties had higher rates, but eight states – California, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia – had rates that were higher in rural counties.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new efforts to improve health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum periods.  The Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis supports a push from the White House to address rising rates of maternal mortality and morbidity nationwide. 

Innovative at their inception three decades ago, drug courts confront a practical and ethical obligation to reimagine some core practices and assumptions. A shifting legal and public health landscape means, for example, increased scrutiny of the courts’ focus on abstinence and mandated treatment, and the use of jail. This publication argues the most effective way for drug courts to evolve is by integrating the practices and principles of harm reduction

This presentation will focus on the relationship between trauma and substance use as it relates to treatment for women, as well as a discussion of impactful trauma-informed and gender-responsive interventions. The evidence-based interventions will be based on Seeking Safety and Finding Your Best Self models, both of which are present-focused and easily implemented in any treatment setting.