Episode Summary
Rural America is facing a silent crisis: substance use disorders are rising while provider shortages are persistent and growing. In this episode, Dr. Serge Wandji reveals how untreated addiction destabilizes families and communities—and shares community-driven solutions to bring healing where it’s needed most.
Episode Notes
Substance use disorder is one of the most pressing health challenges in rural America. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), nearly 65% of all federally designated primary care shortage areas are in rural communities, and more than 60% of mental health professional shortage areas are rural as well (HRSA, March 31, 2025). These provider shortages are persistent and growing, leaving millions of Americans without timely or reliable access to behavioral health services—even as rural communities continue to experience high rates of substance use and related harms.
In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!, Dr. Serge Wandji, MFP at the American Nurses Association alumnus and nurse scientist, shares with host Indrias Kassaye how his early research uncovered the struggles of rural Black men living with addiction. Today, his work expands to underserved communities across the rural South, showing how untreated substance use destabilizes families, harms children, and weakens entire communities.
Dr. Wandji discusses why behavioral health must be integrated into primary care, how nurses and behavioral health specialists can apply research to real-world rural settings, and the importance of community-driven, culturally grounded approaches to recovery. According to Dr. Wandji, breaking the silence around substance use in rural America is the first step toward building healthier, more resilient communities.
Learn more about Dr. Serge Wandji at https://emfp.org/mfp-fellows/serge-wandji
For more information on access to care and mental health professional shortages, visit:
https://data.hrsa.gov/Default/GenerateHPSAQuarterlyReport (opens new window)
https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/nchwa/ahrf (opens new window)
Nurses can earn free Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits for listening to this episode. Full details will be announced at the end of the season.