While no corner of the country has gone untouched by the opioid crisis, rural America has been hit particularly hard. The Rural Responses Initiative was designed to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with opioid overdoses among individuals who encounter law enforcement or are involved in the criminal justice system in high-risk rural communities and regions.
This initiative, co-funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State Justice Institute, supported a 6- to 12-month planning phase for 21 sites to identify gaps in prevention, treatment, and/or recovery services for individuals who encountered the criminal justice system within the target rural service areas.
Sites then moved into the implementation phase, during which they initiated new activities or augmented existing efforts that strengthened epidemiologic surveillance and public health data infrastructure, implemented effective community-level opioid overdose prevention activities, and established or enhanced public safety, public health, and behavioral health collaborations. Some sites also elected to leverage funding to expand peer recovery and recovery support services that helped people start and stay in recovery.
The Rural Responses Initiative began in January 2020, and all sites concluded their activities by March 2023.
Reducing overdose deaths in rural communities by strengthening public safety, public health, and behavioral health partnerships and enhancing their capacity to implement intervention strategies.
New Release! Impact Report: Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic
This report highlights the accomplishments of the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic (RROE) sites.
View the report here!Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions
The Reaching Rural Initiative brings together rural practitioners from different professional backgrounds and communities throughout the country to build a national network of rural communities committed to adopting bold solutions to the persistent challenge of substance use in rural communities. The inaugural class of 67 fellows reflects diverse disciplines and unique experiences.
Visit Reaching Rural
Video: Rural Judges and Sheriffs Workshop Highlights
On December 13–14, 2018, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partnered to convene judicial and law enforcement leaders from select rural communities to discuss special challenges associated with tackling the opioid epidemic, to share information on programs and innovations, and to promote discussion and peer learning. BJA and USDA are pleased to make available this video of interviews from that event.
View the video here!
Rural Community Toolbox
The Rural Community Toolbox serves as a guide to the resources that can help make a difference in rural communities. It offers tools to empower rural community leaders to assess the causes and impact of substance use disorder and find federal programs to help them build strong healthy drug-free rural communities.
View the toolbox here!