Yesterday, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced the Rural Community Toolbox — a resource guide for rural communities struggling with substance abuse issues. Drawing from 16 different Federal agencies and departments, the Toolbox is an online clearinghouse giving rural leaders the opportunity to seek funding, data, and information on over 40 key topics including treatment and recovery options in order to address and combat substance use disorder in their communities.
This follows the Community Action Guide released earlier this year by ONDCP. The Guide includes practices for a range of issues related to drug addiction in rural America and recommended action steps for communities addressing these issues. The Guide also includes insight from ARC on the impact addiction has on economic development specifically in Appalachia.
“In my travels throughout rural America, I have seen firsthand that not only have rural communities been hard hit by addiction, but there are significant gaps in many rural areas in the resources needed to build strong healthy, and drug-free communities,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll stated. “With tools like the Rural Community Toolbox, the Trump Administration is committed to being a strong partner to rural leaders by applying a whole-of-government approach in this battle to save lives.”