Rural
Consortium

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Expanding Access to Substance Use Care
Serving Rural Communities

With funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Be Well Texas leads a collaborative effort to address the challenges of substance use disorder in rural, remote, and underserved areas. Through the Rural Consortium, we strive to enhance access to care, improve treatment quality, and address the unique social and systemic factors impacting rural health. 

Our Approach 

The Rural Consortium works to create sustainable solutions by: 

  • Promoting a statewide network of care through local providers and telehealth options, ensuring services reach all 178 rural counties in Texas. 
  • Fostering connections between providers to share knowledge, dismantle structural barriers, and encourage collaboration. 
  • Building capacity through evidence-based training and the dissemination of best practices to empower providers and communities. 

With a continuum of care that includes substance use services, medications for addiction treatment, and recovery support, the Consortium meets the critical needs of rural Texans.

Why Focus on Rural Texas? 

Rural communities face significant healthcare disparities that impact access to substance use treatment: 

  • Healthcare Shortages: All 178 rural counties in Texas are federally designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas for Mental Health, and 88.6% of large rural counties lack sufficient opioid treatment programs. 
  • Limited Access: Texas has the nation’s highest number of people living more than 10 miles from a buprenorphine provider. 
  • Economic and Social Challenges: Rural Texans earn 22% less per capita than the state average, and the poverty rate is significantly higher than in urban areas. 
  • Overdose Crisis: Nine of the 13 Texas counties with the highest overdose death rates are rural, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions. 

The Rural Consortium combines innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based practices to address these challenges, ensuring no community is left behind in the fight against substance use disorder. Through initiatives like statewide telehealth, treatment, recovery support, and workforce training, this collaborative empowers rural communities to build a healthier future. 

Rural Consortium
Providers

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number G28RH46309-01-00 and title Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.