Substance use disorders affect all communities nationwide, with commitment and support, those impacted can embark on a journey of improved health and overall wellness. The focus of Recovery Month each September is to celebrate all people that make the journey of recovery possible by embracing the tagline, “Recovery is For Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.” Recovery Month spreads the message that people can and do recover every day.

The impact of substance use disorders is apparent in States, and more than 100,000 died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending in March 2022. Through Recovery Month, people become more aware and able to recognize the signs of substance use disorders and co-occurring diseases and encourage people in need of recovery services to seek help. Managing the effects of these conditions helps individuals achieve healthy lifestyles, both physically, and emotionally. The Recovery Month observance continues to work to improve the lives of those affected by substance use disorders by raising awareness and educating communities about the effective services that are available.

NASADAD’s members serve as the lead agency in each State or jurisdiction responsible for managing federal funds dedicated to addressing substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. This month, our Members wear purple to celebrate recovery and promote awareness of substance use disorder issues. NASADAD is grateful for the work all of our members do in their States and jurisdictions to support recovery every day of the year.

SAMHSA Events

September 7, 2022 – Recovery Rally Happens, Sacramento, CA

September 13, 2022 – National Opioid and Substance Awareness Day (NOSAD)

September 14, 2022 – Recovery Policy Scholars Visit SAMHSA

September 16, 2022 – National Recovery Agenda Preview and Panel Discussion

September 16, 2022 – Mobilize Recovery Bus Tour Across America

September 30, 2022 – Young Adults in Recovery – Making Small Choices, Every Day

August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) each year. IOAD is the world’s largest annual campaign to remember those we’ve lost to overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms. The campaign spreads the message about the tragedy of drug overdose death and that drug overdose is preventable. The goals of IOAD are:

• To provide an opportunity for people to publicly mourn loved ones.
• To send a strong message to people who use drugs and people in recovery that they are valued.
• To inform people around the world about the risk of drug overdose.
• To provide basic information on the range of support services that are available.
• To prevent and reduce drug-related harm by supporting evidence-based practice.

The White House

On August 26, President Joseph Biden issued A Proclamation on Overdose Awareness Week, 2022 recognizing August 28-September 3, 2022, as Overdose Awareness Week. In the Proclamation, he calls upon “citizens, Government agencies, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, and research institutions to raise awareness of substance use disorder to combat stigmatization, to promote treatment and celebrate recovery, and to strengthen our collective efforts to prevent overdose deaths.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

CAPT Jeffrey A. Coady, Psy.D., ABPP, Acting Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and SAMHSA Region 5 Administrator recognizes IOAD with a new blog post on Preventing Overdose and Death. In the post, Dr. Coady reiterates SAMHSA/CSAP’s commitment to “prevention strategies to prevent or delay the use and misuse of substances, as well as efforts to support States and communities to develop comprehensive prevention programs to educate the public about the dangers of sharing medications, raises awareness among pharmaceutical and medical communities on the risks of overprescribing, and implements overdose death prevention strategies, such as naloxone distribution and the purchase of naloxone for first responders.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Overdose Prevention in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is marking IOAD with the release of two new articles, showing the latest trends on drug overdose in the United States.

• A new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) analyzes emergency medical services (EMS) data and highlights trends in nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses. This report identifies disparities in overdose rates by patient and county characteristics and provides strategies on what can be done to decrease overdose.
• An up-to-date CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) COVID-19 data brief describes overarching COVID-19-related themes that may have contributed to increased overdose deaths during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the identified themes, this brief gives examples of prevention approaches that can be used in future public health emergencies to help reduce overdose deaths.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the FDA Overdose Prevention Framework. According to the FDA, there are four priorities designed to complement the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy and ONDCP’s National Drug Control Strategy. The four priorities within the FDA Overdose Prevention Framework are:

• Supporting primary prevention by eliminating unnecessary initial prescription drug exposure and inappropriate prolonged prescribing.
• Encouraging harm reduction through innovation and education.
• Advancing development of evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders.
• Protecting the public from unapproved, diverted, or counterfeit drugs presenting overdose risks.

To view the Framework, click here. To view FDA’s web page regarding overdose please visit Overdose Prevention.

NASADAD recognizes and thanks all of our Members for their dedication and commitment to reducing overdoses in their State.

For more information about IOAD, visit https://www.overdoseday.com/.

On April 5, Cassandra Price (SSA, GA), Director of Georgia’s Office of Addictive Diseases, as well as Past President of NASADAD’s Board of Directors, served as a witness for the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health’s hearing, “Communities in Need: Legislation to Support Mental Health and Well-Being.” The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is led by Chairwoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Ranking Member Brett Guthrie (R-KY). If you missed the hearing and would like to watch it, a recording is available here. Director Price’s written testimony is attached and available here. (Director Price began her remarks at 3:31:40 of the hearing.)

Director Price’s testimony covered the following areas:

• The critical role of the State alcohol and drug agencies in managing the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and State Opioid Response Grant program.
• The role of State alcohol and drug agencies in planning substance use disorder (SUD) service delivery, treatment, recovery, as well as ensuring quality and accountability.
• The impact of COVID-19 in Georgia.
• Promoting cross-agency collaboration across State government given the impact of alcohol and other drug use has on other sectors.
• Georgia’s work to partner with community stakeholders, provider networks, physicians, colleges and universities, and more to reduce the number of overdose deaths, provide access to those needing treatment, and increase the availability of recovery support in communities
• Continued efforts to support the provider community on delivering prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
• The importance of delivering culturally competent services.

Her recommendations to the Committee included:

• Promote and ensure a strong Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that serves as the lead federal agency across the federal government on substance use disorder service delivery.
• Ensure that federal policy and resources related to substance use disorders are routed through the State alcohol and drug agency.
• Continued investments in the SAPT Block Grant while maintaining maximum flexibility.
• Promote sustained and predictable funds through three- to five-year discretionary grants.
• Continue to work to address the opioid crisis but also elevate efforts to address all substance use disorders, including those linked to alcohol and other substances.
• Provide SAMHSA the authority and resources to help address the nation’s substance use disorder workforce crisis.
• Ensure that initiatives designed to implement 988 and crisis services improvement to specifically include programs and strategies to address substance use disorders.
• Maintain as much flexibility as possible in the use of SAPT Block Grant funds.

Other witnesses included:

Panel I

• Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Carole Johnson, M.A., Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration

Panel II

• Rebecca W. Brendel, M.D., J.D., President-Elect, American Psychiatric Association
• Sandy L. Chung, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.H.E., President-Elect, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Steven Adelsheim, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Children’s Health
• Debra Pinals, M.D., Medical Director, Behavioral Health and Forensic Programs, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, On behalf of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
• LeVail W. Smith, C.P.S.S., Peer Support Specialist Instructor and Mentor