Recovery Month Kit

This section offers general overview materials and audience-specific information about how stress and substance use disorders, treatment, and recovery influence various groups. In this toolkit, SAMHSA has provided brief fact sheets with top-line information. You can use these summaries or the longer versions of each piece to reach your community. SAMHSA also has included ideas on to how to distribute the materials in this section.

General Information

• Overview: Now More Than Ever! – This piece offers a general overview about how stress and substance use disorders are related, as well as how to manage stress in recovery. You can provide this information to the general public and other audiences at your Recovery Month events.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Overview: Now More Than Ever!
  • Download the PDF version of "Overview: Now More than Ever!" (771 KB)
• Commonly Misused Substances – These current statistics and trends are broken down by type of drug and can be useful to distribute to other support organizations, such as support group leaders. Other organizations can use this information for their own Recovery Month activities and to educate their members year-round.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Commonly Misused Substances.
  • Download the PDF version of "Commonly Misused Substances" (432 KB).
• Treatment and Recovery: Finding Specialized Help for Substance Use Disorders – This document contains an overview of treatment and recovery options and can be useful for people with substance use disorders and their loved ones. You can distribute this document during Recovery Month and beyond as a primer for people who are seeking help.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Treatment and Recovery: Finding Specialized Help for Substance Use Disorders.
  • Download the PDF version of "Treatment and Recovery: Finding Specialized Help for Substance Use Disorders" (657 KB).
• Join the Voices for Recovery – This is a snapshot of real stories of people who have struggled with addiction and are on a path of long-term recovery. You can offer these vignettes to all audiences to share the realities of substance use disorders, treatment, and recovery.
  • Download the PDF version of "Join the Voices for Recovery" (890 KB).

Audience-Specific Information

• Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress Among Public Safety Officials – This piece contains useful information on how to help people working in the public safety fields who may suffer from an addiction. Contact local military, police, firefighter, and emergency medical technician (EMT) groups to see if they are interested in learning more about addiction, treatment, and recovery.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress Among Public Safety Officials.
  • Download the PDF version of "Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress Among Public Safety Officials" (945 KB).
• Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress in the Workplace – Send this piece to well-known businesses in your community to educate them on how to support co-workers with an addiction.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress in the Workplace.
  • Download the PDF version of "Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Stress in the Workplace" (1063 KB).
• Stress and Substance Use Disorders in Families – Use this piece to educate families about managing personal and financial stress in recovery for the whole family, and to show how stress can exacerbate an existing addiction.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of the Stress and Substance Use Disorders in Families.
  • Download the PDF version of the "Stress and Substance Use Disorders in Families" (1388 KB).
• Development of Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults – Distribute this piece to local senior centers and activity groups to educate older adults about addiction, treatment, and recovery.
  • Click here to view the in-depth version of Development of Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults.
  • Download the PDF version of "Development of Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults" (876 KB).