This paper summarizes community forums that were held at nine locations throughout rural northeast Minnesota from October 2015 through March 2018. Each forum was planned by a university researcher and a planning team composed of community leaders and local public health officials and included a variety of professional speakers from health care, public health, law enforcement, and treatment and recovery, as well as individuals from the community who shared their own personal stories of addiction and recovery.

The different ingredients of a successful forum that increased community collaboration are discussed within this document.