Increasing Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment Through Rural Health Clinics
By Dr. Scott M. Brown, DMS, PA-C
Breaking Down Barriers to Addiction Treatment
Access to effective treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) remains one of the greatest challenges facing rural America. In small towns and farming communities across the country, individuals struggling with addiction often face long travel distances, limited treatment options, and stigma when seeking help.
The lack of nearby services often leads to delayed treatment—or no treatment at all—creating a cycle that affects families, communities, and local economies. For many rural residents, the first step toward recovery is simply finding a place that can provide care close to home.
The Role of Rural Health Clinics
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were originally established by Congress in 1977 to improve access to healthcare in medically underserved areas. Over time, these clinics have become an essential part of the healthcare safety net, providing high-quality primary care and preventive services to communities that might otherwise go without.
Today, RHCs have the potential to go even further by integrating substance use disorder treatment and recovery services into their existing care models. Because RHCs are already embedded within rural communities, they are uniquely positioned to offer compassionate, stigma-free care where patients feel known and supported.
Integrating SUD Treatment Into Primary Care
By combining primary care and addiction medicine within one clinic, RHCs can address the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of recovery. This approach supports long-term success by ensuring that a patient’s overall health is managed alongside their substance use disorder.
Examples of integration include:
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Prescribing medications such as buprenorphine or naltrexone within a primary care setting.
Behavioral Health Services: Providing counseling, therapy, and recovery coaching on-site or via telehealth.
Chronic Care Management: Monitoring conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or depression that often co-occur with addiction.
Care Coordination: Connecting patients to community resources, peer support, and social services that aid recovery stability.
This integrated model not only improves outcomes but also normalizes addiction care as a routine part of healthcare—reducing stigma and promoting early intervention.
Financial Sustainability Through RHC Reimbursement
One of the greatest advantages of providing SUD treatment through an RHC is financial sustainability. Because RHCs are reimbursed under a cost-based model by Medicare and Medicaid, the integration of behavioral health and addiction treatment becomes both clinically and financially viable.
This means RHCs can expand their scope of services without relying solely on grants or temporary funding streams. It also enables physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health professionals to deliver care that is fully reimbursed under the RHC structure—helping clinics grow and sustain their mission to serve.
Telehealth: Extending the Reach of Recovery Care
The expansion of telehealth services since the COVID-19 pandemic has been a game changer for rural addiction treatment. Through secure video platforms, RHCs can now offer virtual appointments for MAT follow-ups, therapy sessions, and recovery coaching.
This flexibility allows patients to receive ongoing support even when transportation, work schedules, or childcare make in-person visits difficult. Telehealth integration ensures continuity of care—a key factor in preventing relapse and promoting lasting recovery.
Restoring Hope in Rural Communities
Expanding access to substance use disorder treatment through Rural Health Clinics is more than a healthcare strategy—it’s a moral commitment to restoring hope and dignity in rural America.
When individuals in small towns have access to compassionate, evidence-based care, recovery becomes possible. Families are reunited, communities grow stronger, and stigma gives way to understanding.
At Hometown Family Medical Centers, our mission is to bring that care to every community we serve. By combining primary care, behavioral health, and recovery services under one roof, we’re working to ensure that every patient has access to the support they need—close to home.
