Nebraska Harm Reduction Program

A child hears a parent say something harsh about addiction. They don’t forget it.

Years later, when they’re facing their own battle, those words echo.
They stay silent.
They suffer alone.
They don’t ask for help.

Stigma starts at home. But so can compassion.



Did your parents teach you that substance use is a choice rather than a medical condition?

🚨 The Unseen Crisis in Rural Nebraska which is
Nebraska is facing a dual crisis that is leaving our rural neighbors behind in the fight against addiction. While the tools for recovery exist, thousands of Nebraskans are physically and digitally cut off from help.
📉 The Reality of the “Double Gap”
• A Treatment Desert: 88 out of 93 Nebraska counties are currently underserved for addiction treatment.
• Zero Local Help: 29 counties have absolutely no behavioral health providers, and 78 counties lack a single practicing psychiatrist.
• The Broadband Barrier: Telehealth is often the only hope, yet 10 counties have zero broadband access, making virtual care physically impossible.
• Reliability Issues: Only 26% of rural residents have “very dependable” internet, compared to 50% in urban areas.
💔 The Human Cost
• Access Gap: Only 10% of Nebraskans struggling with substance use disorder receive any form of treatment.
• Provider Concentration: 84% of the state’s psychiatrists practice exclusively in metro areas like Omaha and Lincoln.
• Frontier Struggles: Residents in “frontier” counties often live 60+ minutes away from the nearest urban center or treatment facility.
💰 A Missed Opportunity
Nebraska has been allocated $405 million in federal BEAD funds to fix rural broadband. However:
• Only 9% of that funding is currently designated for fiber deployment—the lowest percentage among 39 peer states.
• While neighbors like Iowa and Kansas are investing 22% to 27% in fiber, Nebraska’s current plan risks leaving 10,000+ rural locations with unreliable satellite or wireless connections.
Recovery shouldn’t depend on your zip code. It is time to prioritize infrastructure that connects every Nebraskan to the life-saving care they deserve.
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Does your Nebraska community have reliable internet?

You know what stops people from getting help for substance use?

Shame. Fear of judgment. Worry that people will think they’re a bad person.
It’s called stigma. And it’s the biggest reason people stay silent instead of reaching out.
We can change that. It starts with how we talk about it.


Where do you think stigma is the most intense for people who use drugs in Nebraska?

Opioid withdrawal can be excruciating and nearly impossible to get through without medical attention.