Substance Use Disorders Recovery with a Focus on Employment and Education
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and specifically, the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, is pleased to fulfill the charge of the 21st Century Cures Act to disseminate information on evidence-based practices (EBPs) and service delivery models to prevent substance misuse and help individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), serious mental illnesses (SMI), and serious emotional disturbances (SED) get the treatment and support that they need.
An important focus for SAMHSA is supporting sustained recovery from SUD through the use of employment mechanisms. This guide reviews the literature and science; examines best practices; identifies key components of peer-reviewed models that affect policies and programs; and identifies challenges and gaps in implementation.
Individuals in treatment and recovery can vary in many ways. They experience different mental health and substance use conditions; may have co-occurring disorders; live in diverse parts of the country; and/or may experience a variety of socio-economic factors that can help or hinder recovery. All these factors can complicate evaluating the effectiveness of SUD services, treatments, and supports.
But despite these variations, there is evidence to support that appropriate programming may reduce SUD, lessen mental health symptoms, and improve quality of life. The Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series is a comprehensive and modular set of resources intended to support health care providers, health care system administrators, and community members meet the needs of individuals at risk for, experiencing, or recovering from SUD, SMI, and SED.
Each guide is developed with input from expert panels made up of federal, state, and non-governmental participants. These panels provide input based on their knowledge of health care systems, implementation science, EBPs, provision of services, and policies that foster change.
Panels include a unique group of accomplished scientists, providers, and administrators from provider and community organizations, federal and state agencies as well as persons with lived experience. Research shows that implementing EBPs requires a multipronged approach. This guide is one piece of an overall approach to implement and sustain change. Users of these guides are encouraged to review the SAMHSA Website for additional tools and technical assistance opportunities.