Rural health network development planning grant program

About Our Kids Inc. (AOK) received a $200,000 Project Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912) Rural Health Network Development Planning Program, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. AOK will develop a comprehensive planning framework for ORBIT 3.0 (Opioids: Rural Battle Implementation & Targets), a rural health network initiative serving Barton and Dade Counties in southwest Missouri. The primary deliverables include establishing telemental health service infrastructure to address mental health and substance use disorder/opioid use disorder (SUD/OUD) treatment gaps, and creating a sustainable billing and reimbursement structure that will enable the ORBIT initiative to access existing funding sources for long-term operational continuity.

The planning grant addresses critical healthcare access barriers in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)-designated region by developing the community's capacity to coordinate mental health and SUD/OUD services through an integrated network approach. Under Network Director Jerod Morey and Project Director Jillian Gardner's leadership, AOK will establish foundational infrastructure and collaborative systems to expand access to behavioral health services, improve care coordination among regional providers, and enhance health outcomes for vulnerable rural populations facing opioid and mental health crises.