Rural Resilience & Strategic Responses to the Opioid Epidemic

Rural communities are often characterized by strong social ties, local innovation, and a deep commitment to supporting neighbors in times of need. At the same time, they face unique challenges in responding to the opioid epidemic, including limited access to care, healthcare workforce shortages, and transportation barriers. Yet with new opportunities through Rural Health Transformation funding, opioid settlement dollars, and other targeted investments, counties have a critical window to make strategic decisions that can save lives and strengthen communities.

Hosted by NACo in collaboration with NACo Corporate Premier Partner Stage CARES, this webinar will highlight how rural counties are leveraging these resources to build coordinated, sustainable opioid response strategies. Learn how local leaders are strengthening partnerships, building coalitions, expanding prevention and recovery efforts, increasing naloxone distribution, and investing in measurable solutions tailored to their communities. Hear practical examples of what is working on the ground and how counties can have lasting impacts with the resources available to them.

Learning objectives and key takeaways:

• Identify key challenges that rural communities face impacting health and well-being and emerging opportunities to address them.
• Describe strategies that rural counties are taking to respond to the opioid epidemic and strengthen community response efforts.
• Evaluate opportunities to align local investments and community priorities to support sustainable opioid-response strategies in rural communities.