Abstract. This study explored the narratives of rural healthcare workers involved in implementing the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP) in the Philippines, addressing a critical gap in understanding grassroots implementation in rural contexts. The study aimed to examine the experiences, roles, and challenges healthcare workers face in delivering community-based rehabilitation services. Using purposive sampling, ten government-employed rural healthcare workers were selected through recommendations by the provincial drug abuse and treatment program coordinator. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s (2014) thematic analysis, structured according to Murray’s (2000) levels of narrative analysis: ideological, positional, and personal. At the ideological level, CBDRP was perceived as a mechanism for community reintegration, allowing Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) to transform into contributing members of society. At the positional level, rural healthcare workers positioned themselves as pillars of rehabilitation and builders of sustainable partnerships, despite limited resources and institutional challenges. At the personal level, their narratives reflected transformational journeys marked by professional growth, resilience, and personal fulfillment. The study contributes to the limited literature on rural drug rehabilitation, emphasizing the pivotal role of healthcare workers in advancing public health-centered approaches in underserved areas. Implications include the need to enhance community engagement activities for PWUDs, implement targeted capacity-building for healthcare stakeholders, enact supportive local ordinances addressing the socio-economic barriers of PWUDs, and promote region-specific research to inform sustainable policy improvements. These findings highlight the value of integrating localized, culturally sensitive strategies within the national drug rehabilitation framework to ensure inclusive and sustainable recovery efforts across varying geographic contexts.

Keywords: Community-based drug rehabilitation program; Narratives; Person who used drugs; Rural health; Rural healthcare workers.