In June 2023, Smart Rural Community (SRC) hosted a panel discussion featuring Liz Kohler, founder and CEO of Nexion Solutions, and Judge Frederick T. Moses of Hocking, Ohio. Their panel conversation at SRC Live! focused on substance abuse and domestic violence, both of which see proportionally higher incidences in rural than urban areas, and how they each relied on connected technology to address those issues. The panel and ensuing conversation sparked a partnership between an SRC provider and a community domestic crisis nonprofit.
Despite the session title, “The Things We Don't Like to Talk About,” there was plenty of talking. Judge Moses - a prior beneficiary of a Foundation for Rural Service grant to deploy technology in his court - observed that most people in his courtroom had never anticipated they would be in the situations that brought them there, citing the incidence of substance addictions that stemmed from medically prescribed interventions. Kohler shared stories that fueled her inspiration to create a wearable device that offers protection for domestic victims.
Kohler was inspired to create the Nexion solution when a witness at a District Attorney victim services office asked her, "Isn't there something you can do to protect me when I'm not at home?" Traditional safety measures like home security systems and hotels provided only limited protection. In contrast, the Nexion device that Kohler created offers users active monitoring and instant contact to law enforcement support — innovative technology that won a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) award.
After hearing the panelists at SRC Live!, Elizabeth Brown, marketing manager at Panhandle Telephone Cooperative Inc. (PTCI, Guymon, Okla), took the conversation back to her community, and eventually, to Northwest Domestic Crisis Services (NWDCS).
During a conversation with a friend who worked as a university counselor, Brown recalled that SRC panel. Her immediate response: “We have got to do something to bring this technology home.” PTCI partnered with NWDCS and Nexion to use Kohler’s product to protect domestic violence survivors. To date, they’ve deployed devices across their 10-county coverage area, representing 20% of Oklahoma.
Brown said the Nexion model makes technology implementation efficient and accessible, adding, “It’s finding the right partner, knowing who to talk to, and getting together.” The PTCI/NWDCS partnership combines innovation with the human, relationship-driven nature of rural communities - showing how rural broadband providers can use infrastructure as well as their local ties and affiliations to meet critical social needs.
The complete story, including detailed implementation strategies and lessons learned, provides comprehensive guidance for rural communities considering similar life-saving partnerships. Read the full report here for replication insights.