Information Resources for Treatment

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)
Adapting Evidence-Based Practices for Under-Resourced Populations

Provides guidance for behavioral health practitioners, community leaders, and other stakeholders on the process of adapting evidence-based practices (EBPs) for individuals from under-resourced populations with mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs). Focuses on adaptations to make mental health and SUD treatment EBPs more culturally responsive to help address behavioral health inequities for groups that experience barriers to care, including tribal and rural populations. Describes various cultural adaptations for EBPs and supporting research, and offers program examples as well as evaluation and quality improvement resources.

Date: 2022
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)
CMS Opioid Treatment Program Providers Dataset

Offers a dataset with information on Medicare-enrolled Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) providers that is updated monthly. Contains the name, National Provider Identifier (NPI), address, phone number, and the effective enrollment date for each provider. Includes resources for understanding and using the data.

Date: 01/2024
Sponsor: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS Roadmap: Strategy to Fight the Opioid Crisis

Describes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) activities to address the opioid epidemic related to prevention, treatment, and data. Highlights program successes, innovative approaches, and future goals of CMS efforts to address the opioid crisis.

Date: 06/2020
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)
Emergency Department Interventions for Opioid Use Disorder: Overview of the Landscape, Key Components, and Analysis of Five Case Studies

Describes emergency department-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and intervention models and key features of emergency department-based OUD treatment models. Shares findings from 5 case studies of emergency department-based OUD treatment programs located throughout the U.S., including from an emergency department of a free-standing rural hospital in California.

Date: 08/2023
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
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)
Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What's Working in the United States

Offers evidence-based opioid overdose prevention practices for community leaders, local and regional organizers, nonprofit groups, law enforcement, public health and other members of the public. Provides summaries of effective strategies to prevent opioid overdose and the context in which they are most effective. Discusses targeted naloxone distribution, including Good Samaritan laws, syringe services programs, criminal justice settings, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and initiating MAT in emergency departments. Summarizes the major research on each practice and offers examples of organizations that have successfully used the strategies to reduce the risk of overdose.

Date: 2018
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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)
How to Receive Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Training

Provides information, resources, and eligibility criteria to obtain free training to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for eligible clinicians working to address the opioid epidemic.

Sponsor: Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)
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 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)
Medicare Coverage of Services in Opioid Treatment Programs

Describes a benefit that covers opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services under Medicare Part B medical insurance. Enables the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make bundled payments to certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) for OUD treatment services for an episode of care provided to Medicare Part B beneficiaries. Covers the following services under the benefit: opioid agonist and antagonist medication-assisted treatment (MAT) medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), naloxone and overdose education, substance use counseling, individual and group therapy, toxicology testing, intake activities, and periodic assessments.

Sponsor: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)

Provides information on methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone and how they are used to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). Covers the signs of an overdose and answers questions about each medication.

Date: 06/2020
Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
National Report: Rural Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Treatment Needs

Shares the results of a survey of practitioners affiliated with Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grant sites throughout the U.S. to assess substance use disorder (SUD) stigma and treatment needs in rural areas. Includes various statistics on practitioner demographics, professional roles, work setting, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), stigma, and other practitioner beliefs and barriers.

Date: 09/2023
Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Opioid Safety Initiative Toolkit

Toolkit sharing field guidance, resources, and presentations to support clinical decisions about starting, continuing, or tapering opioid therapy, and other challenges related to safe opioid prescribing. Includes patient and provider education, clinical tools, and other resources.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
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 (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
Policy Priority Roundtable Summary Report: Improving Buprenorphine Access in Pharmacy Settings

Highlights discussion and policy priorities from a August 2022 virtual roundtable meeting focused on increasing awareness and understanding of the barriers and challenges related to buprenorphine access in pharmacy settings the U.S. Includes specific observations and recommendations to improve buprenorphine access in pharmacy settings in rural areas.

Date: 11/2023
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
RCORP: Helping Meet Rural Needs

Features a 6-part video series highlighting Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grantees and their work to prevent and treat opioid use disorder (OUD) in their communities.

Date: 11/2023
Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
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)
Rural Health Research Center Publications on Substance Use and Treatment

Lists policy briefs, working papers, journal articles, and other publications on substance use and treatment in rural areas published by federally-funded Rural Health Research Centers. Includes links to upcoming and archived webinars on the topic and other related research projects.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Rural Health Research RECAP: Opioid Use and Treatment Availability

Summarizes research describing the prevalence of opioid use in rural communities. Includes statistics on the perceived need and use of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Date: 01/2018
Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Rural Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Toolkit

Highlights evidence-based and promising models and related resources to develop, implement, evaluate, and build sustainable substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment programs in rural communities. Identifies barriers to SUD and treatment in rural areas.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
Rural Response to the Opioid Crisis Topic Guide

Provides an overview of the opioid crisis in rural America and includes information and resources on initiatives and funding opportunities to address the crisis. Covers successful rural model program examples, events, and other tools for prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.

Sponsor: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
SAMHSA Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ)

Provides access to data, reports, and other information from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) on various aspects of behavioral health, including substance use and mental health treatment services. Includes data on household substance use and mental health; treatment, admissions, and discharges; mental health facilities; substance use facilities; emergency departments; client-level mental health information; and uniform reporting system statistics.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
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 Faith and Community Engagement

Provides information to support partnerships between faith-based and community organizations and federal programs to offer effective programs and activities for substance use prevention, mental health services, and addiction treatment. Offers resources for training, technical assistance, publications, and existing faith-based coalitions and collaborations focused on decreasing violence, combating substance use, improving behavioral health, reducing homelessness, and providing crisis counseling to those in need.

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 Medications for Substance Use Disorders

Provides an overview of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), as well as information on opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Describes current federal regulations and requirements for practitioners to prescribe MOUD. Includes information and training resources for healthcare providers, researchers, and patients.

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)
Summary of VA Substance Use Treatment Options

Provides an overview of treatment options for veterans experiencing substance use issues. Includes information on different therapies, medications to reduce opioid and other substance use, intensive outpatient treatment, residential care, continuing care and relapse prevention, self-help groups, and more.

Sponsor: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Teens Linked to Care (TLC)

Details a school-centered pilot project that examined implementing strategies to prevent youth substance use and risky sexual behaviors in high-risk rural communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Highlights efforts to address related issues of HIV, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), teen pregnancy, and high-risk substance use through education, primary prevention, and early detection screening. Program activities included implementing new health curricula, partnering with health departments and community drug-free coalitions, and developing and distributing informational products and video campaigns.

Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
TLC: Teens Linked to Care Toolkit

Serves as a planning resource for schools and stakeholders interested in implementing the Teens Linked to Care (TLC) program, an integrated prevention strategy to address both substance use and risky sexual behavior in youth living in rural communities. Outlines the 4 phases of the TLC program, and shares tools and other resources to help schools support sexual health and substance use education and policies.

Date: 03/2023
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Case Management

Provides guidance to Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) on effective case management practices and the functions of case management in THWC operations. Offers case management models; resources; and information related to ethics, balancing roles, and data collection and evaluation to assist THWCs in developing or revising the role of case managers in their courts.

Date: 05/2018
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Intergovernmental Collaboration

Discusses common elements of intergovernmental collaboration, including tribal-state collaborations, intended to assist Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) interested in utilizing collaboration to enhance their court operations. Provides a brief history THWCs, profiles of current collaborations that can serve as models, and shares resources to help new and existing THWCs meet the needs of their communities.

Date: 05/2021
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
VA PBM: Academic Detailing Services (ADS) - Educational Materials

Provides access to education materials developed by the VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services (PBM) Academic Detailing Services (ADS) sharing evidence-based treatments to help providers improve the health of veterans. Offers provider and patient education tools and outreach resources to encourage evidence-based decision making for a variety of medical conditions and diseases, including opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD), pain, suicide, dementia, depression, HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.

Sponsor: VA Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) Services
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)