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AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Substance Use Tools & Resources   

Read the Guide

This collection of tools and resources is for providers, staff, and patients who offer or use services to address substance use, and other interested stakeholders. This collection was originally established following an environmental scan on implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural primary care. (See PDFs of Volume 1 (PDF - 609 KB) and Volume 2 (PDF - 1.3 MB) of that scan). Items have been continuously added to this collection since then, and the collection has expanded to cover substance use more broadly, rather than just MAT for OUD.

Displaying 21 - 30 of 1059

Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2023–2024 (PDF - 616 KB)

This CDC data brief reports that U.S. age‑adjusted drug overdose death rates fell significantly from 2023 to 2024 across all demographic groups and drug categories, marking the largest annual decline in the past decade.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Policymakers and Payers
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

eCFR: 42 CFR Part 2 -- Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records

This page provides detailed information about Title 42, Part 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which focuses on the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records.

Format
Web Page
Audience
Other Team Members
Policymakers and Payers
States
Source
Code of Federal Regulations
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Empowering Rural Communities: Overcoming Barriers to Treatment (PDF - 687 KB)

This webinar highlights the unique challenges rural communities face in accessing substance use disorder treatment and presents innovative, community-driven strategies—such as mobile clinics, telehealth, and local partnerships—to expand care and build recovery‑ready environments.
Format
Webinar/Video
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Communities
Source
Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Engaging Difficult-To-Reach Adolescents into Substance Use Disorder Treatment (PDF - 2,000 KB)

This webinar provides practical, evidence‑based strategies to engage resistant or hard‑to‑reach adolescents in substance use disorder treatment by improving early-session connection, increasing session attendance, and using strength‑based, adolescent‑friendly approaches.
Format
Webinar/Video
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Source
Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Evidence-Based Navigator Tool

The Evidence Based Practice Navigator Tool provides information on effective interventions for opioid use disorder and pain, including implementation approaches, costs, barriers, outcomes, and research needs to support evidence based decision making.
Format
Toolkit
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Source
HEAL Data2Action (HD2A) Research Adoption Support Center (RASC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Fact Sheet 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule

This is a SAMHSA summary of 42 CFR Part 2 final rule, with a focus on what has changed.

Format
Web Page
Audience
Other Team Members
Policymakers and Payers
States
Source
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

For Physicians: MOUD into Primary and Other Care Settings

This page explains how physicians can integrate medications for opioid use disorder into primary and other care settings, emphasizing that evidence based treatment, education, workflow changes, and stigma reduction can help expand access to effective substance use disorder care and support long term recovery.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Free Mind Campaign Partner Toolkit

The Free Mind campaign was created to raise awareness about the connection between youth substance use and mental health. The campaign toolkit provides resources and information on preventing substance misuse, educating youth on risks, and articulating the impact of mental and behavioral health issues.
Format
Toolkit
Audience
Children
Families
Communities
Patients
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

From Midlife to Later Life: Addressing the Intersection of Aging, Substance Use, and Mental Health in Men

This blog post highlights how men in midlife and later life face increased risks of depression, anxiety, and substance use due to aging-related changes and life transitions, and emphasizes the importance of early screening, integrated care, and seeking help because recovery is possible at any age.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Patients
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Guest Editorial: Injectable-Only Overlapping Buprenorphine Starting Protocol in a Low-Threshold Setting: Current State, Lessons Learned, and Future Direction

The editorial argues that a novel injectable-only buprenorphine initiation protocol, using overlapping long-acting injectable doses over three days, is showing promise for helping people with opioid use disorder start and remain on treatment more successfully.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Year
Resource Type
Web Page