The Community Readiness Model (CRM) developed and validated by the Tri-Ethnic Center was adapted to identify at-risk communities in six rural Texas counties. Five to six key informants per county were recruited from a variety of community sectors to participate in phone interviews. Paired scorers independently analyzed individual interview responses to the questions assessing the Tri-Ethnic instrument's five community dimensions of readiness. On a scale of 1-9, transcripts were scored across five community dimensions of readiness. Thirty-one interviews were conducted. The overall mean community readiness score for all six counties was 2.5 (SD = 0.5), which is between two stages of denial/resistance and vague awareness. A thematic assessment illustrated the contextual factors impacting community readiness to promote prevention.