Recovery Is Possible
Each September, National Recovery Month reminds us that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, that treatment is effective, and that people can and do recover.
This year’s theme—“Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections”—also reminds us that the need to connect and inspire is as important as ever.
I’ve been lucky to witness the inspiring strength and resilience that those in recovery summon from themselves to turn their lives around. I like to think that if every American could see what I’ve seen, our national approach to recovery would change overnight.
But the fact is that similar journeys of recovery are being lived out every day by millions of our neighbors, friends, and relatives.
There’s one more thing National Recovery Month reminds us of—that the time for stigma and punishment has passed and that their replacement with understanding and support is itself cause for celebration no matter how much work lies ahead.
—Fletcher Group Founder and Chief Medical Officer Ernie Fletcher
Important Webinars You Shouldn’t Miss
The National Alliance of Recovery Residences Monthly Webinar
NARR hosts its monthly Webinar the second Wednesday of each month from 3:30 to 5:00 pm EST. Subjects change from month to month but the general theme is Recovery Housing Best Practices and the effects of COVID-19. To register, click NARR Monthly Webinar.
Building the Nation’s Peer Recovery Support Services Infrastructure
Held in recognition of National Recovery Month, the Webinar will be hosted September 21 by James W. Carroll, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Speakers will include Patricia Sweeney, National Director of Peer Support Services for the Department of Veterans Affairs; Luis Padilla of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Kirsten Jensen of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Douglas Huntsinger, Indiana Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement; and Joe Powell, President/CEO of the Association of Persons Affected by Addiction. Register by September 18 at https://ems9.intellor.com?do=register&t=1&p=901868.
Integration of MAT in Treatment and Recovery Support
The first of four SAMHSA Webinars to commemorate National Recovery Month will be held September 3 and moderated by Michele LaTour Monroe of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Panelists will include Kathleen Hoadland of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs; Cynthia Seivwright, Division Director of the Vermont Department of Health; Lauren Siembab of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; and Melisia L. Montaño of the New Mexico Human Services Department. Join by calling 877-917-4909 or going to https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join (conference number PWXW1623553, passcode 9267991)
Over 125 Recovery-Related Resources — Just a Click Away!
A wealth of resources appropriate to the cause of National Recovery Month appear below, divided into 25 categories presented in alphabetical order. To access a specific online resource, simply click the blue heading.
ALCOHOLISM
FAQ Sponsored by Al-Anon Family Groups
Provides the answers to frequently asked questions by those with alcohol problems and their families and friends.
Alcohol Treatment Navigator Sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Offers a comprehensive, step-by-step strategy for finding evidence-based alcohol treatment services for an adult loved one.
Lists resources for those experiencing alcohol dependence and helps individuals find and join a local chapter.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Offers tools and training materials for community, school, and family interventions related to alcohol use and misuse.
Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help
A list of available treatment choices and what to consider when choosing among them.
Promotes self-management, balance, moderation, and personal responsibility for people who struggle with alcohol use who are able to
manage and moderate their use and wish to do so.
APPS
SAMSHA’s “Talk. They Hear You.”
Helps parents and caregivers talk to kids (9-15 years old) about the dangers of underage
drinking.
SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Disaster Response App
Provides responders with access to critical resources, including the Behavioral Health
Treatment Services Locator to identify substance use and mental health treatment
facility locations.
Helps providers integrate suicide prevention strategies into their practice, address suicide risk among their patients, and make referrals to treatment and community resources.
An evidence-based mobile application that provides ongoing support and relapse
prevention for people recovering from substance use disorders.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Diary Card and Skills Coach
Provides users with self-help skills, reminders of therapy principles, and coaching tools for coping.
Allows users to track their recovery process. It includes features such as a tracker and
notifications for new milestones.
The Addiction Recovery Guide’s Mobile App Listing
Provides descriptions and links to other apps that support recovery, including
self-evaluation, recovery programs, online treatment, and chat rooms.
SAMHSA’s KnowBullying Mobile App
Provides parents and caregivers with information and guidance on ways of preventing
bullying and building resilience in children.
EDUCATION
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health
Details substance use statistics and the impacts on American citizens and healthcare systems.
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids
Provides research, facts, and resources about the opioid epidemic and lists recommended actions to address it.
Provides numerous resources and helpful information related to mental and substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery.
SAMHSA’s Recovery and Recovery Support Webpage
Provides information on how recovery-oriented care and recovery support systems help people with mental and substance use disorders manage their conditions.
Supports the 23 million Americans living in recovery to ensure their rights and access to needed services as well as demonstrates the power and proof of obtaining long-term recovery.
Provides education on misperceptions surrounding addiction; recently merged with the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD).
Provides information about substance use from the Drug Enforcement Administration for parents, educators, and caregivers.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Offers tools and training materials for community, school, and family interventions and other substance use programming.
FAITH-BASED HELP
SAMHSA’s Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Provides information and best practices on programs in mental health services, substance use prevention, and addiction treatment at the national, state, and local levels.
Provides Christian faith-based support for those in recovery through summits, groups, and church-centered meetings.
FAMILY SUPPORT
SAMHSA’s National Family Dialogue
Connects families of young people with substance use disorders to resources and support.
SAMHSA’s Information and Resources for Families and Family-Based Organizations
Resources for families and family-run organizations supporting recovery and
resilience for children, youth, and adults.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative
Provides information and resources to help identify and address traumatic stress in children, which increases the risk of behavioral health challenges and for a range of medical conditions.
Facilitates connections with family groups for those who have a loved one experiencing a substance use disorder.
HOTLINES AND HELPLINES
1-800-662- HELP (4357) or 1-800-487- 4889
Provides a free, confidential 24/7, 365-day-a-year information and treatment referral service, in both English and Spanish, for individuals and families facing mental and substance use disorders.
An Extensive List of Hotlines Sponsored by the HHS Family and Youth Services Bureau
Provides a long list of helpful services and hotlines specifically for families and youth.
Provides 24/7 support for individuals experiencing a crisis via text message.
Provides an opportunity for teens and young adults to receive support when dealing with an unhealthy or abusive relationship. The site offers online chats, telephone support, and texting with a peer advocate.
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
Serves as a support network for families of children struggling with substance misuse.
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Connects callers to a local sexual assault crisis center so they can receive information and support. Includes access to a new RAINN app that gives survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones access to support, self-care tools, and information.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Sponsored by SAMHSA
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Provides a free, 24-hour helpline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Provides confidential, one-on-one support for women, men, children, and families affected by domestic violence. Crisis intervention and support are offered 24/7, 365 days a year with well-trained advocates via phone, online chat, text, or video phone for victims who are deaf or hard of hearing.
INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATIONS
A global event held on August 31 each year to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related death.
A global celebration on September 30 that welcomes all supporters of recovery.
MAT AND MOUD
SAMHSA’s Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Page
Defines and discusses the effectiveness of Medication-Assisted Treatment and provides a list of treatment locators.
The St. Josephs Health Alternatives to Opioids Pain Management Model
Details how to use targeted non-opioid medications, trigger-point injections, nitrous oxide, and ultrasound-guided nerve blocks to tailor acute and chronic pain management strategies to meet patient needs while eliminating the risks associated with opioid prescribing.
Providers Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment
Offers training, consultation, and mentoring to physicians and other healthcare providers (including nurse practitioners and physician assistants) who desire to prescribe and/or dispense FDA-approved products approved for the treatment of opioid use disorders.
MEETINGS
Narcotics Anonymous Meeting Search
Lists resources for those experiencing substance use disorders; helps individuals find and join a local chapter.
Offers a self-empowering addiction recovery support group network with face-to-face and daily online meetings.
Offers peer-to-peer support and personal strategies to fight addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Secular Organizations for Sobriety
Offers resources to help individuals achieve and maintain sobriety and abstinence from alcohol and substance use disorders.
MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES
SAMHSA’s Early Serious Mental Illness Treatment Locator
Provides a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons and their family members seeking treatment in the U.S.
American Public Health Association
Discusses mental health as a topic area, offering an overview of the issue along with recommendations for improving access to care.
Offers guidance for recognizing mental health issues and starting conversations with friends and family members, educators, and faith and community leaders, among others.
Lists training resources for supporting people with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
National Council For Behavioral Health
Details guidance on policy action, consulting, and best practices in behavioral health.
American Psychiatric Association’s Practice Page
Lists resources and information on practice management and professional development for psychiatrists.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Provides education and advocacy programs for those affected by mental disorders, including a toll-free helpline for families in communities throughout the United States.
Mental Disorders Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Serves as the leading peer-directed national organization focusing on the two most prevalent mental disorders, depression and bipolar disorder.
Offers resources about mental disorders; through affiliates, provides America’s communities and consumers with direct access to a broad range of self-help and professional services.
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health
Provides training, support, and consultation to advocates, mental health and substance abuse providers, legal professionals, and policymakers working to improve agency and systems-level responses to survivors of domestic violence.
National Institute of Mental Health
Serves as the lead Federal agency for research on mental disorders.
Psychology Today’s Find A Therapist Directory
Allows users to locate, by city or ZIP code, a therapist, psychologist, or counselor who specializes in mental disorders.
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America
Promotes improvement in lives affected by schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (mental illnesses involving psychosis) and promotes hope and recovery through support programs, education, collaboration, and advocacy.
NATIVE AMERICAN RESOURCES
Provides an interconnected online resource across Native Nations about recovery for individuals, families, and communities.
The National Congress of American Indians
Provides resources and information regarding conferences and other events useful to tribes fighting the opioid epidemic.
Offers a wide range of culturally-based resources to help Native Americans and Alaska Natives fight addiction and achieve sobriety and well-being.
OPIOID-RELATED RESOURCES
A Primer on Opioids: The Critical Role of Health Education in Preventing Addiction and Saving Lives
The Society for Public Health Education’s fact sheet to promote understanding of the health education approach to the opioid epidemic.
SAMHSA’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
Helps communities and local governments develop policies and practices to prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. The toolkit addresses issues of interest to first responders, treatment and service providers, and those recovering from an opioid overdose.
SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 63
A Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) that reviews the use of the three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications used to treat OUD—methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine.
Decisions in Recovery: Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Helps families make informed decisions about treatment for addiction to pain medication or other opioids, such as heroin or fentanyl.
OVERDOSE PREVENTION
Contains interactive trainings on naloxone administration for professional first responders.
Provides resources on Naloxone distribution and partnering with law enforcement to advocate for individuals and communities affected by drugs.
Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science Sponsored by the National Institute On Drug Abuse
Includes information and resources for those who may use Naloxone to combat opioid overdoses.
A Naloxone Toolkit Sponsored by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center
Offers information and resources to help law enforcement agencies establish Naloxone programs.
Patient and Family Opiate Treatment Guide
Offers facts about treatment related to opiates and provides resources for responding to an opioid overdose.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
SAMHSA’s Programs and Campaigns
Helps train and educate behavioral health and general health care practitioners to improve delivery of recovery-oriented services, supports, and treatment.
Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions
Promotes the development of integrated primary and behavioral health services to better address the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use conditions, whether seen in behavioral health or primary care provider settings.
Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network Sponsored by SAMHSA
Provides research and information for professionals in the addiction treatment and recovery services field.
National Institute On Drug Abuse: Medical and Health Professionals
Describes a range of strategies healthcare professionals can use to treat and prevent substance use disorders.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
Provides a fact sheet with evidence-based recommendations for first responders when they encounter fentanyl during their daily activities.
Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit
Provides a toolkit and other resources to help law enforcement agencies partner with mental healthcare providers.
Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative
Serves as an alliance of practitioners in law enforcement, behavioral health, community, advocacy, research, and public policy, whose mission is to strategically widen community behavioral health and social service options available through law enforcement diversion.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR PHYSICIANS AND PHARMACISTS
CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
Details information for providers and patients, and a mobile app to support use of the guideline.
American Society of Addiction Medicine Clinical Resource Page
Provides useful tools for clinicians treating substance use disorders.
American Society of Hospital Pharmacists Resource Centers
Provides information, tools, and resources for hospital pharmacists on topics including opioid management and substance use.
CDC Guidance On Non-Opioid Treatments for Chronic Pain
Outlines the principles and recommended treatments for common chronic pain conditions.
CDC Information on Syringe Services Programs (SSPs)
Offers information for those interested in partaking in SSPs.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Best Practices Memorandum
for Addressing Prescription Opioid Overdoses, Misuse and Addiction
Provides details on addressing the opioid crisis in an informational memorandum.
E-QUAL Network Opioid Initiative Sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians
Provides training and a wide variety of free online resources on reducing opioid prescribing, and on supporting the adoption of evidence-based interventions, such as Naloxone prescribing and buprenorphine induction, in emergency departments.
American College of Emergency Physicians E-QUAL Network Opioid Initiative
Provides training and a wide variety of free online resources on how to reduce opioid prescribing and supporting the adoption of evidence-based interventions such as the use of Naloxone and Buprenorphine induction in emergency departments.
Provides guidelines for family doctors on treating and preventing behavioral health conditions.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
Recognizes clinical social workers who have met national standards of knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of clinical social work and ATOD and agreed to abide by the NASW Code of Ethics, the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Substance Use Disorders, and the NASW Standards for Continuing Professional Education.
Mental Health Specialty Practice Section Provided by the National Association of Social Workers
Details resources and guidance for social workers aiming to address behavioral health conditions.
American Public Health Association Substance Misuse Page
Gives public health professionals information and resources on how to address substance use and substance use disorders.
RECOVERY HOUSING
National Alliance for Recovery Residences
Dedicates time and resources to expanding the availability of well-operated, ethical, and supportive recovery housing.
SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
Provides a confidential source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. territories for mental and substance use disorders.
Provides a national network of over 2,400 chartered self-run recovery residences.
RESEARCH RESOURCES
Conducts research for the advancement of addiction treatment and recovery.
RURAL ISSUES
Contains resources on evidence-based substance use prevention programs in rural communities.
SPANISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES
Provides Spanish language resources to help families prevent drug use and underage drinking.
STIGMA
How Watching a Movie Can Change the Addiction Conversation from Problems To Solutions
Watch the movie trailer for “Anonymous People” by Greg Williams.
An Interview with Greg Williams, the Maker of the Movie “Anonymous People”
The film maker talks about what drove him to make his ground-breaking film and his own hard-won journey to recovery.
Faces and Voices of Recovery—a Non-Profit Dedicated to Eliminating Stigma
Join with others in the global recovery advocacy movement to eliminate the stigma of addiction and recovery.
SUICIDE
Suicide Prevention Resource and Training Center
Provides resources for training in preventing suicide and responding in emergencies.
TREATMENT LOCATORS
SAMHSA’s Online Treatment Locator
Provides links and phone numbers to locators for mental and substance use disorder treatment and recovery services.
How To Find Help Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse
A step-by-step guide for finding treatment for drug use disorders.
Details a step-by-step guide on what to do if you or a loved one has a problem with drugs.
SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
Provides a confidential source of information for persons seeking treatment in the United States or U.S. territories for mental and substance use disorders.
Provides quick access to addiction treatment facilities in Kentucky that are currently taking new clients.
YOUTH RESOURCES
Provides parents of teens and young adults with information on how to identify and handle possible substance misuse situations.
Fosters a supportive, physically active community for individuals who are recovering from a substance use disorder.
Provides awareness campaigns, outreach, advocacy, and events catering to the mental health needs of students on college campuses.
Mental Health Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults
Provides resources, apps, and clinical information sources for preventing, treating, and recovering from mental and substance use disorders in youth and adolescents.
Provides information and best practices on when and how to prevent and screen youth for mental and substance use disorders.
Association of Recovery in Higher Education
Supports collegiate recovery programs and collegiate recovery communities, the faculty and staff who support them, and the students who represent them.
Mental Health First Aid for Youth
Teaches parents, family members, health workers, peers, school staff, and other community members how to help an adolescent who is experiencing a mental or substance use disorder.
How To Help A Friend Sponsored by the National Alliance On Mental Illness
Provides information for teens, adolescents, and young adults experiencing mental and co-occurring disorders.
Assists college and university administrators in identifying and choosing evidence-based, cost-effective prevention strategies to reduce drinking on campus.
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Sponsored by the National Institute On Drug Abuse
Provides information about NIDA’s annual campaign to promote the science behind alcohol and substance use disorder treatment and recovery.
Provides science-based information on how substances affect the brain and body in adolescence.
Provides information on opioids for teenagers and adolescents who want to know more.
Offers youth and adolescents a safe space to discuss their experiences with mental and substance use disorders.
Let’s Erase Bullying Sponsored by SAMHSA
Federal government website managed by SAMHSA designed to educate youth and their parents regarding the harms of bullying and how it can be stopped.
Mental Health Literacy for Teens
Aims to improve mental health of youth by the effective translation and transfer of scientific knowledge into digestible information.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Adolescent Mental Health Page
Offers a detailed list of links and tools for addressing adolescent mental health.
Provides databases, newsrooms, and a helpline for college students who are or have peers who are experiencing or curious about mental and substance use disorders.
Provides resources and advocacy information for young people with mental health disorders.
Mobilizes the voices of young people in recovery and provides training and networks to individuals, families, and communities to help them promote recovery and reach their full potential.
Association of Recovery High Schools
Connects recovery high schools with training, expertise, resources, and best practices to assist every student who is in recovery.
Association of Recovery in Higher Education
Provides the education, resources, and community connection needed to help recovering students in higher education.
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