Rural Health

Rural communities face distinct SUD challenges: limited treatment facilities and staff, transportation barriers, long travel distances, and pervasive stigma.

CHESS Health partners with organizations to address these barriers through evidence-based digital tools. Our solutions identify at-risk individuals, facilitate referrals to care, and reduce isolation through 24/7 access to peer-powered recovery support, crisis intervention, and family support – extending care beyond clinic walls. We help rural organizations maximize resources, improve access, and deliver outcomes while aligning with key funding streams including Rural Health Transformation Grants, SAMHSA and HRSA grants, including RCORP.

    Providers in rural Chaves County, NM are delivering prevention and recovery support to a community grappling with poverty and substance use.

    Rural Realities: Tackling Mental Health and Substance Use in Chaves County

    June 27, 2025

    Chaves County in southeastern New Mexico addresses high poverty levels and elevated rates of mental health issues and substance use disorder through community initiatives.
    Explore West Virginia substance use recovery with digital support. Over 12,000 individuals connected for a transformative journey.

    Digital Tools Improving Recovery from SUD in West Virginia

    June 10, 2025

    West Virginia is using digital tools to fight the SUD crisis, reducing overdose deaths and boosting recovery support across vulnerable groups.
    Explore the impact of tribal substance use through Lacey Callahan's personal and professional experiences in the Choctaw Nation.

    Roots and Resilience: Addressing Substance Use in Tribal Nations

    April 28, 2025

    Lacey Callahan blends lived experience and innovation to combat substance use in Choctaw Nation through connection and community care.
    Explore recovery support in tribal communities and the innovative approaches taken by Choctaw Nation Behavioral Health to meet demand.

    Expanding Recovery Support in Tribal Communities

    April 14, 2025

    Choctaw Nation is transforming rural recovery with a digital lifeline that’s helping tribal populations stay on the path to healing.
    Social Determinants of Health, SUD

    Mining Social Determinants of Health to Decode the Substance Use Disorder Crisis

    February 24, 2025

    Recognizing the complexities of individual needs in our diverse communities is essential for effective health equity with the result of improved health outcomes and reducing the onset and impact of
    Rural America/ Rural Health

    Digital Behavioral Health Tools Offer Hope to Rural Areas in SUD Crisis

    February 5, 2025

    Digital solutions offer a powerful answer for providers, public health and health plans serving rural communities that lack care options and support for people with substance use disorder.
    Learn how Sapulpa Public Schools tackles mental health care for at-risk youth with collaboration and an innovative digital solution.

    Breaking Barriers to Mental Health Care for At-Risk Youth

    December 20, 2024

    Learn how Sapulpa Public Schools uses digital tools in partnership with a leading mental health provider to address mental health challenges for vulnerable students.

    CHESS Health Expands Use of Contingency Management Platform to Transform Hepatitis C Care

    December 17, 2024

    Rochester, NY – CHESS Health is excited to announce an expanded use of its innovative digital Rewards Engine, a flexible automated contingency management tool designed to improve treatment adherence. Traditionally
    Leaders at UCS Bennington were alarmed by the high mortality rate the state of Vermont was seeing. Recognizing the need for more consistent access to resources, they introduced CHESS Health’s Connections app, a key component of its eRecovery Solution, in 2023 as a supplemental service. Despite facing staffing shortages and other challenges, UCS Bennington remained committed to providing clients with additional layers of support.

    Bridging Gaps in Recovery Support While Delivering Provider Peace of Mind

    September 23, 2024

    Leaders at UCS Bennington were alarmed by the high mortality rate the state of Vermont was seeing. Recognizing the need for more consistent access to resources, they introduced CHESS Health’s
    United Counseling Service (UCS)-Bennington, designated as a Center of Excellence by Vermont Care Partners, serves the far southwestern corner of Vermont, a rural area where the need for substance use disorder and mental health treatment far outweighs availability.

    Extending Provider Reach: Enhancing Access to Mental Health and Addiction Services for Rural Vermonters of All Ages

    September 18, 2024

    United Counseling Service in rural Vermont expands access to mental health and addiction services, addressing increasing substance use and co-occurring disorders.
    With eIntervention’s closed-loop referral system, FLACRA has seen critical improvements in the speed and efficacy of its referrals.

    From Personal Recovery to Community Transformation

    July 19, 2024

    Michael Downey is the Associate Director of Outreach and Engagement for the Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA), a non-profit CCBHC agency in Western New York serving individuals
    In the landscape of the rural SUD crisis, creating connective experiences that can help guide and support across the entire spectrum is paramount to having success in this crisis. Arbor Place, a prevention, treatment, and recovery services provider in rural western Wisconsin, exemplifies this ethos through its innovative approach to care. Led by Executive Director Jill Gamez, Arbor Place embraces a philosophy of constant evolution, always seeking novel strategies to enhance client care.

    Fostering Connective Experiences to Support Individuals with SUD In Rural Wisconsin

    May 20, 2024

    A treatment provider in rural Wisconsin creates a holistic community support network for individuals with substance use disorder, addressing multiple points in the recovery process.