Information Resources for Recovery

2022 National Drug Control Strategy

Outlines federal drug policy priorities and promotes short and long-term solutions to reduce drug use, overdose, and other related harms in the U.S. Priorities include: expanding access to medication for opioid use disorder and other evidence-based treatment; advancing racial equity in drug policy; enhancing harm reduction efforts; supporting youth substance use prevention; reducing the supply of illicit substances; advancing recovery-ready workplaces; and expanding addiction workforce and access to recovery support services. Includes strategies to address substance use issues in rural and underserved communities.

Date: 2022
Sponsor: Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
2022 Report to Congress on the State Opioid Response Grants (SOR)

Reports on the implementation, activities, and outcomes of state opioid response (SOR) grantees using data collected in fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Includes accomplishments for all the states and territories and rural mentions throughout.

Date: 09/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Biden-Harris Administration's Statement of Drug Policy Priorities for Year One

Identifies and describes the following 7 drug policy priorities for the first year of the Biden-Harris Administration: expanding access to evidence-based treatment; advancing racial equity issues in drug policy; enhancing evidenced-based harm reduction efforts; supporting evidence-based prevention efforts to reduce youth substance use; reducing the supply of illicit substances; advancing recovery-ready workplaces and increasing the addiction workforce; and expanding access to recovery support services. Outlines next steps for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to coordinate with other federal agencies to address drug policy priorities.

Date: 03/2021
Sponsor: Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Caring for Women with Opioid Use Disorder: A Toolkit for Organization Leaders and Providers

Provides information and resources for healthcare and social service organization leaders and providers to improve care coordination and access to services for women with opioid use disorder (OUD) in programs supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), such as health centers, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinics, and home visiting programs, as well as in other care settings. Focuses on shifting the culture around addiction and treatment, engaging women with OUD in care, and creating and maintaining partnerships that support care coordination for women with OUD. Offers self-assessment tools and metrics to help users monitor and evaluate care coordination in their organizations.

Date: 11/2020
Sponsor: HRSA Office of Women's Health (OWH)
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)

Serves as the federal agency leading the national effort to promote community-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery services for individuals and families. Works to improve and strengthen SUD treatment organizations and systems to help build capacity and meet the demand for services nationwide. Supports states and community-based programs in adopting and adapting evidence-based and best practices to reduce barriers and improve access to high quality treatment and recovery services. Offers free treatment referral to connect people dealing with issues related to substance use to programs and services available in their community.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
CMS Letter to State Medicaid Directors: Leveraging Medicaid Technology to Address the Opioid Crisis

Offers states information and advice regarding strategies to combat the opioid crisis using technology, as well as potential funding opportunities for these efforts. Discusses implementing prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) to track and facilitate the safe prescription of opioid medications and increasing data-driven approaches, interoperability, and telehealth services to improve care coordination among healthcare professionals.

Date: 06/2018
Sponsor: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders

Provides information to first responder agencies, communities, and other stakeholders to support practices and approaches for first responders to connect people to substance use treatment and other support services. Offers evidence-based strategies, public health approaches, resources, and program models, including best practices for responding to opioid overdoses. Considers potential challenges, such as those faced in rural areas, and other factors when implementing initiatives to support people who use drugs.

Date: 08/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Culturally Responsive Pathways to Peer Programming in Tribal Communities

Provides an overview and history on the use of peer recovery support services (PRSS) in tribal communities to address high rates of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs). Offers resources and models on best practices for tribes to develop, implement, and sustain PRSS programming. Draws insights from 9 tribal PRSS practitioners to highlight the importance of including Native American culture and traditions into PRSS delivery.

Date: 09/2023
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Digital Therapeutics for Management and Treatment in Behavioral Health

Provides an overview and highlights the benefits of using digital therapeutics (DTx) health software to treat or alleviate behavioral health conditions. Offers information on DTx research, regulatory and reimbursement considerations, and advice for providers on how to select and implement DTx in their practice. Describes issues related to DTx, behavioral health equity, and potential barriers to access, including in rural areas.

Date: 07/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Engaging Community Coalitions to Decrease Opioid Overdose Deaths Practice Guide 2023

Provides guidance and resources to help individuals and communities build and strengthen community coalitions with the ultimate goal of decreasing opioid overdose deaths. Includes insights from rural communities and rural considerations.

Date: 2023
Sponsors: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
How Can USDA Help Address the Opioid Epidemic?

Infographic highlighting areas where resources and programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) have worked to address prevention, treatment, and recovery from opioid use, as well as programs to help build upstream resilience and future prosperity in rural communities.

Date: 06/2018
Sponsor: USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
IHS National Committee on Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE Committee)

Collaborates with tribal stakeholders across the U.S. to address issues related to the treatment of chronic pain and the use of heroin and prescription opioids among tribal populations. Works to promote appropriate and effective pain management, reduce opioid overdose deaths, and improve access to culturally appropriate substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Workgroup focus areas include prescriber support, treatment and recovery, harm reduction, program effectiveness metrics, technical assistance, and communications.

Sponsor: Indian Health Service (IHS)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 1

Interview with Colin Cash from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota discussing his experience founding and leading the Sober Squad Recovery Movement program. Highlights ways that this program can serve as a model for advancing and sustaining recovery communities during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 07/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 2

Interview with Ruby Takushi, Director of Programs for the Recovery Café in Seattle, Washington. Discusses aspects of the recovery cafe model and how it may be used to advance and sustain recovery communities during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 07/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 3

Interview with Andre Johnson, President and CEO of the Detroit Recovery Project. Discusses how a peer-led, peer-run, peer-delivered recovery model can be used to advance recovery communities and help individuals maintain recovery during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 08/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 4

Interview with Callan Howton, Director of the National Peer-Run Training and Technical Assistance Center for Addiction Recovery Peer Support. Highlights how this model of providing recovery housing can be used to advance recovery communities and help individuals maintain recovery from substance use during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 08/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 5

Interview with Precia Stuby, Executive Director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services in Ohio. Discusses how embedding a recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) model in local health agencies may be employed as a strategy to advance and sustain recovery communities during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 08/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Inspire and Think Big: Recovery Communities' Role in Challenging Times, Part 6

Panel discussion featuring 5 representatives from recovery communities in different regions of the country. Draws on the speakers' experiences working to build successful community-based recovery programs and explores how their various approaches and strategies may serve as models to advance and sustain recovery communities during periods of change and disruption.

Date: 08/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
National Recovery Month

Offers information on a month-long event held every September to promote public awareness and knowledge of mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD), and celebrate those in recovery. Includes a toolkit, webinars, recovery publications, and other resources and tips to engage communities, stakeholders, local officials, and others in support of Recovery Month.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Opioid Stewardship in the Indian Health Service (IHS)

Offers comprehensive information and resources on the use of prescription opioids, managing chronic pain, and opioid use disorder (OUD) for patients and providers, specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and Indian Health Service (IHS) providers. Includes online tools, technical assistance resources, guides, and training for patients and providers on topics such as opioid crisis data, opioid prevention, proper pain management, opioid prescribing/stewardship, culturally appropriate practices, maternal health, harm reduction, naloxone use, child health and wellness, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), tele-MAT, trauma-informed care, best practices, supportive services, wellness courts, and training opportunities. Resource is an initiative of the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Branch (ASAB).

Sponsor: Indian Health Service (IHS)
Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach: A Guide for Policymakers for Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies That Address Opioid Overdose

Provides guidance to policymakers, communities, and key stakeholders to develop and implement system- and practice-level changes to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Presents results from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative's HEALing Communities Study. Outlines priority populations and 19 evidence-based interventions to prevent and reduce opioid related overdose deaths. Offers resources on various topics related opioid overdose and highlights model programs, including those serving rural areas.

Date: 2023
Sponsors: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA) Practice Guide 2023

Provides guidance and resources to help communities, healthcare providers, and volunteers providing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and harm reduction and recovery services address opioid use in their communities. Include rural mentions throughout.

Date: 09/2023
Sponsors: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Overdose Prevention Strategy

Details the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services strategy to respond to drug overdoses and prevent overdose deaths across the U.S. Shares research, resources, and evidence-informed overdose interventions focused on 4 priority areas: primary prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and recovery support. Offers strategies and resources designed to increase coordination among key stakeholders, reduce stigma, and expand access to healthcare and treatment for underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities.

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Recovery Ecosystem Index Map

Interactive map providing county-level data describing community-level factors to support individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). Allows users to create maps illustrating connections between overdose deaths including opioid deaths, and selected demographic and economic factors.

Date: 09/2022
Sponsor: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Resources for Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Misuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

Shares programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) to address specific community needs related to substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. Provides brief program summaries with information on program eligibility, as well as how the program may be used to confront issues of substance and opioid misuse in rural communities.

Date: 02/2019
Sponsor: USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
Rural Community Action Guide: Building Stronger, Healthy, Drug-Free Rural Communities

Provides an overview of the challenges facing communities seeking to address opioid misuse and substance use disorders in rural areas. Offers information and guidance from a wide range of experts and stakeholders to help rural leaders develop effective prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies to mitigate the impacts of substance use on rural populations. Highlights promising practices, lessons learned, and key resources to support community-led efforts to prevent and reduce substance use and build healthy communities.

Date: 01/2020
Sponsor: USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
SAMHSA Criminal and Juvenile Justice Programs

Provides an overview of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) efforts to address the challenges incarcerated and justice system-involved individuals face when attempting to seek treatment for and recover from mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Seeks to increase access to behavioral health services, minimize costs, and other consequences related to the unnecessary and repetitive incarceration of people with behavioral health issues. Discusses strategies to identify individuals with mental illness and SUD, implement diversion programs, enhancing reentry services, evidence-based practices, screening and assessments, and more.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center

Provides communities, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and others with a searchable resource center including reports, guides, toolkits, and other resources to implement evidence-based practices for mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Focuses on opioid use disorder (OUD) and other SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery options.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Homelessness Programs and Resources

Offers a collection of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs and resources designed to prevent and end homelessness among men, women, youth, and families with mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD). Includes grant programs and services as well as publications, videos, and webinars on behavioral health treatment, employment assistance, housing/shelter programs, case management, trauma, as well as links to help individuals find immediate help and treatment.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Office of Recovery

Serves as a national clearinghouse for recovery-oriented care to address substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders. Promotes collaboration across key sectors to more effectively integrate recovery into systems of care, increase recovery services, and reduce barriers to recovery for underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Strategic Plan: Fiscal Year 2023-2026

Presents the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) 4-year strategic plan detailing the agency's guiding principles, priorities, goals, and objectives to address behavioral health needs in the U.S. Focuses on 5 key areas: preventing substance use and overdose; access to suicide prevention and mental health services; promoting resilience and emotional health for children, youth, and families; integrating behavioral and physical healthcare; and strengthening behavioral health workforce. Emphasizes behavioral health equity for underserved and/or historically marginalized populations, including rural and tribal communities.

Date: 08/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Workforce Programs

Provides an overview of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) efforts to increase the supply of trained, culturally aware behavioral health professionals, including psychiatrists, therapists, addiction counselors, homeless outreach specialists, recovery coaches, and other professionals in fields related to prevention, healthcare, and social services. Includes links to programs and resources to help address workforce shortages and provide culturally competent care to individuals with mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD).

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
TIP 64: Incorporating Peer Support Into Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services

Shares evidence-based guidance on how to integrate peer support services (PSS) into substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs and services. Describes PSS for people with substance related issues, the role and functions of peer recovery workers, and other topics related to incorporating PSS into SUD treatment. Includes specific considerations related to providing peer support in rural areas.

Date: 06/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
TIP 65: Counseling Approaches to Promote Recovery from Problematic Substance Use and Related Issues

Provides guidance on evidence-based counseling approaches to help individuals achieve and maintain recovery from substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs). Supports licensed counselors and other providers, including non-specialists, nurses, interns, administrators, clinical supervisors, peer specialists, and other staff, seeking to adopt or expand a recovery-oriented framework in their programs. Offers information and resources on how to implement recovery programs and counseling approaches to prevent recurrence, sustain recovery, and promote harm reduction and healthy lifestyles for those in recovery. Includes strategies, resources, and examples focused on providing services in rural settings.

Date: 11/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
VA Rural Health Enterprise-Wide Initiatives

Describes the enterprise-wide initiatives currently supported by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health. Shares the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) national programs to provide healthcare services in VA hospitals and health systems to veterans residing in rural areas across the nation. Outlines programs to address primary care, specialty care, mental health, care coordination, workforce training and education, transportation, and more. Includes virtual training for providers on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery, as well as a pharmacy-based program to increase access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for rural veterans with opioid use disorder.

Sponsor: VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Offers evidence-based information, recommendations, guides, and tools for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare providers and patients to assist in the decision making process to improve the treatment and outcomes for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), methamphetamine use, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Describes best practices to help patients avoid preventable complications, reduce substance use, and improve their overall health and wellness.

Date: 2021
Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)