Treatments

May 19, 2026 | Controlled Substances, Harm Reduction, Peer Support and Recoery Services, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Toolkits, Treatments

In February 2026, the International Healthcare Facility Diversion Association released a toolkit developed by its Substance Use Recovery and Support Steering Committee, designed to provide best practices and ethical considerations for supporting healthcare professionals (HCPs) in recovery. This resource is intended for use by entities supporting HCPs in recovery from substance use with the potential to return to safe practice....

May 14, 2026 | Model Laws, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Substance Use Disorder, Treatments

The Model Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use Disorder Act establishes protocols and procedures for the involuntary commitment of individuals with substance use disorder that is separate and distinct from the procedure for the involuntary commitment of individuals with mental health issues. This model act also: (1) ensures that the due process rights of individuals with substance use disorder who are subject to involuntary commitment proceedings are respected and protected and that all individuals are treated with dignity, respect, and empathy throughout the process; (2) enumerates the rights of individuals involuntarily committed for substance use disorder treatment; (3) establishes discharge planning requirements to prevent harm upon discharge from involuntary commitment and reduce the risk of overdose upon reentry into the community; (4) establishes an involuntary commitment review board to review the admission and retention of individuals ordered to undergo involuntary commitment for the treatment of substance use disorder in a clinical setting; (5) establishes training and education materials on the process of involuntary commitment for courts, the medical community, and the general public; and (6) establishes a reporting requirement for treatment facilities to ensure the collection and analysis of data related to involuntary commitment and its outcomes....

May 14, 2026 | Controlled Substances, Model Laws, Opioids, Public Health, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

Drafted in partnership with the O'Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center, the Center for U.S. Policy, and Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, this model law assists states in their efforts to maximize funds available to address the overdose crisis. The Model Opioid Litigation Proceeds Act guides states through the establishment of a dedicated fund, separate from the state’s general treasury fund, that is designated for substance use disorder abatement, including prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction infrastructure, programs, services, supports, and resources. All proceeds received by the state arising out of legal claims made against manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid analgesics, pharmacies that dispensed prescription opioid analgesics, and related parties shall be deposited into the dedicated fund....

January 23, 2026 | Controlled Substances, Innovative Initiatives, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Opioids, Peer Support and Recoery Services, Prescription Drugs, Recovery, Reentry, Substance Misuse, Substance Use Disorder

Ryther, a nonprofit mental health service provider for children, teens, and young adults in Seattle, Washington, provides therapeutic services to youth struggling with mental and behavioral health issues, including substance use disorder (SUD). As part of its menu of services for SUD treatment, Ryther offers medication for addiction treatment (MAT) for those aged 12 to 25 who have opioid use disorder (OUD), making the program unique in focusing on young people. Ryther’s MAT program provides holistic treatment that addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and social challenges faced by children and young adults with SUD. Many of the participants in Ryther’s MAT program are homeless or experiencing housing instability, and the program is designed to provide these individuals with low barrier resources and support....

December 22, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Drug Courts, First Responders, Law Enforcement, Legal & Legislative Research, Public Health, Public Safety, Substance Misuse, Treatments

All across the U.S. jails are filled with people who need medical care and social services, many of whom cycle in and out of jail without ever receiving the help they need. One emerging model to combat this problem is deflection, which seeks to prevent individuals who have low to moderate criminogenic risk, but significant unmet social, economic, and health needs, from entering the criminal justice system. The goal of deflection programs is to lessen the burden on the criminal justice system by connecting those individuals—before they enter the criminal justice system—to treatment and social services to which they might not otherwise have access. This document is designed to: (1) provide a singular resource for each jurisdiction’s deflection laws; (2) allow for a comparison of these laws between jurisdictions; and (3) identify and highlight interesting provisions....

October 23, 2025 | Opioids, Pharmacy, Reports & Studies, Substance Use Disorder, Treatments

In collaboration with the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) recently released "Pharmacists and Buprenorphine: Analysis of State Laws and Regulations." Funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) Foundation, this project, named Pharmacy Bridge, focused on a demonstration of the real-world application and outcomes of two innovative models of pharmacy-based, low-barrier buprenorphine induction and maintenance services: (1) collaborative care through a collaborative practice agreement (CPA); and (2) independent pharmacist prescribing of buprenorphine. The report contains state-by-state descriptions and analyses of relevant statutes and regulations as well as a detailed summary of overall findings....

August 28, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Criminal Justice, Fact Sheets, Harm Reduction, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Opioids, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

Through the use of medications for addiction treatment (MAT), an individual’s substance use, withdrawal symptoms, and the physiological and psychological cravings can be controlled, enabling the person to begin treatment while in a correctional facility and be released as a person in, or on his or her way to, recovery. Research shows that that the use of MAT for Opioid Use Disorder in correctional settings is a cost-effective and life-saving intervention....

April 14, 2025 | Data Collection, Health Data, Recovery, Reports & Studies, Substance Use Disorder, Treatments

In 2024, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) convened an interagency working group (IWG) comprised of 30 federal agencies to identify federal recovery research gaps and opportunities on recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). This article outlines the process undertaken to identify these research opportunities and describes four core research topic areas and three cross-cutting themes and provides the rationale for their selection. It also identifies potential pathways for recovery research, including evaluation and data collection activities, and discusses challenges and potential opportunities for recovery research....

March 16, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Drug Courts, Fact Sheets, Harm Reduction, Peer Support and Recoery Services, Public Health, Public Safety, Recovery, Treatments

In 2014, several U.S. cities and counties filed lawsuits against drug manufacturers and distributors alleging that the companies’ aggressive marketing practices fueled a national opioid addiction epidemic that subsequently killed hundreds of thousands of people. Since then, over 3,000 state and local governments filed lawsuits of their own, seeking to recoup the billions of dollars that these entities spent—and continue to spend—on the fallout from the epidemic. The result of these legal efforts is a series of ongoing monetary settlements, greater than $56 billion to date. Payment of these settlements will last 18 years, and the decision-making authority for spending these funds differs between jurisdictions. Many have an appointed advisory board that disburses specified amounts each year for specified purposes. In this fact sheet, LAPPA details how opioid settlement proceeds are being disbursed to state and local governments, how those governments are choosing to spend those funds, and the obstacles that can prevent these funds from helping those who have been affected by the opioid epidemic....

March 5, 2025 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Insurance, Recovery, Treatments

The Medicaid Health Home State Plan Option, authorized by the Affordable Care Act in 2011, gives states the ability to create health home programs that provide comprehensive care coordination for Medicaid beneficiaries. Health home programs are required to “integrate and coordinate all primary, acute, behavioral health and long term services and supports” to treat the patient across his or her lifespan. Health home services must include all six of the following components: comprehensive case management; care coordination; health promotion; comprehensive transitional care/follow-up; patient and family support; and referral to community and social support services. This fact sheet provides an overview of Medicaid health homes, which are designed to assist beneficiaries in obtaining care for chronic conditions, including substance use disorder....