Rural Center of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders With a Focus on Recovery Housing

JBA is providing evaluation consultation for a new national Rural Center of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders with an emphasis on recovery housing. Focus areas include applied program evaluation; methods; targeted policy analysis; and evaluation of programmatic technical assistance to states, counties, and tribes.

Part of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, the Center will serve more than 100 counties and 2 million people in 8 states: Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, Ohio, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. It will support public health entities, practitioners, and community leaders to address substance use disorders with evidence-based practices. Technical assistance will help establish housing and treatment options for low-income and high-risk individuals, including those who are homeless or involved with the criminal justice system.

Along with JBA, the Fletcher Group is partnering on the Center with the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center, National Alliance for Recovery Residences, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises.