Stone soup: social work community engagement in rural America’s opioid crisis

ABSTRACT

The opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc in rural America. Evidence-based approaches have been found to limit overdose and death related to the opioid crisis. We explore the current trends in treatment for Opioid Used Disorder (OUD) and present an argument that social workers in rural settings play a vital role to help facilitate the linkages needed for clients seeking OUD care. The fable of Stone soup is used to link the power of community connections in rural settings and potential that social workers play in convening the “right ingredients” for success in OUD management.

KEYWORDS:

• Rural
• social work
• opioid use disorder
• interdisciplinary teams