Arcare Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand Substance Use Disorder Care in Baxter, Cleburne, Independence and Izard Counties
Four-year HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response award will add physicians, therapists and recovery coaches to North Central Arkansas communities.
AUGUSTA, Ark. — October 22, 2026 — Arcare has been awarded $3 million through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to expand prevention, treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder (SUD) in Baxter, Cleburne, Independence and Izard counties.
Arcare will serve as lead applicant for the RCORP-Impact grant, working alongside regional drug courts, faith-based recovery ministries and community organizations to close gaps in addiction care across the region.
The funding will allow Arcare to add physicians, therapists and recovery coaches in the four-county region, bringing evidence-based care closer to home for rural residents who often travel long distances for help. Services will span the full continuum of care:
- Prevention: community education and outreach to reduce substance misuse before it starts.
- Treatment: expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and integrated behavioral health care.
- Recovery: peer recovery coaching and support that helps patients stay connected to care and rebuild their lives.
Arcare has a long history of addressing substance use and opioid use disorder, having established MOUD programs across its four-state footprint. This award builds on that work and on the behavioral health services already offered in Arcare clinics.
Arcare will deliver the program in partnership with local organizations already doing recovery work in the region, including the regional drug courts, Restore Hope, John 3:16 Ministries and other partners. Together, the partners will connect people involved in the justice system, those seeking residential or faith-based recovery, and their families to medical and behavioral health care through Arcare.
Arcare’s award is part of nearly $90 million HRSA announced through its Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to continue the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. This year’s awards span 45 states and one U.S. territory, including 87 RCORP-Impact awards. Established in 2018, RCORP is the only federal program dedicated exclusively to addressing opioid and substance use disorders in rural communities, and has funded nearly 1,000 grants over eight years.
About Arcare
Arcare is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center headquartered in Augusta, Arkansas, with more than 40 years of experience delivering accessible, community-based health care. Guided by its mission of “Health for All,” Arcare provides primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, specialty and school-based services to rural and underserved communities. To schedule an appointment, call 866-550-4719 or visit arcare.net.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
