Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Planning

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Planning supports organizations in rural communities to build the partnerships and foundational capacity needed to develop, implement and sustain a comprehensive system of substance use disorder (SUD) and related services. 

RCORP’s focus is on opioid misuse and its impact on rural America. However, HRSA recognizes that people who misuse opioids often struggle with other substances as well, including alcohol. Individuals struggling with SUD, including opioid use disorder (OUD), need a continuum of mental, behavioral, and related social supports. RCORP-Planning helps address these needs in a comprehensive way.

This program is intended for rural communities that may find the logistics or requirements of larger, more complex federal grant programs to be barriers to accessing start-up support. Funding will serve as a critical first step to creating SUD service systems that make care easy to access, strengthen the behavioral health workforce, and have strong community buy-in. It will help prepare communities to provide sustainable prevention, treatment, recovery, and other supportive services that:

• reduce substance use initiation and misuse,
• address the mental, behavioral, and psychosocial needs of people who use illicit substances or misuse alcohol, or are in recovery from substance use problems, and
• reduce disease and death related to substance use problems, including OUD, in high-risk rural communities.

The intent of this program is to fund planning activities only. Funds may not be used for direct service delivery.