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 0.69 MB] and Volume 2 [PDF 1.28 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 1 - 10 of 946

2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care

This new publication provides guidance and highlight effective practices for crisis care services across the country. SAMHSA has identified the essential elements for an effective crisis continuum such that everyone in the nation has a robust system that meets their needs, one that includes “someone to contact, someone to respond, and a safe place for help.”
Format
Guide
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Other Team Members
Policymakers and Payers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Combatting Stigma with Knowledge

This blog post discusses substance use disorders and their associated stigma. It highlights how improved knowledge about substance use disorders can combat stigma.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Communities
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis Related Services

This document seeks to promote crisis service quality and consistency, and further payer adoption of emergency, crisis, and crisis-related behavioral health services. Achieving these goals will support increased access to quality, equitable emergency, and crisis care for all individuals.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Other Team Members
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

National Guidance on Essential Specialty Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA’s) new National Guidance on Essential Specialty Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care articulates a core or essential set of services for adults with SUD that should be available at any specialty SUD treatment facility in the United States.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
States
Policymakers and Payers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

NativeAIR

NativeAIR contains reviews of evidence-based alcohol interventions for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and other Indigenous communities from published, peer-reviewed studies. NativeAIR highlights 39 total interventions organized into three areas: prevention interventions for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, prevention interventions for alcohol misuse, and treatment interventions for alcohol use disorder. Experts reviewed each intervention utilizing a rigorous set of criteria. Many of the interventions include important aspects of cultural relevance and Tribal inclusion.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Communities
Graduate Education
Source
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Training: Assessing and Addressing Opioid Use Disorder

This resource provides training on opioid use disorder is diagnosed using the DSM-5 assessment criteria, how to discuss this diagnosis with patients, and how to treat opioid use disorder.

Format
Web-Based Course
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Other Team Members
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Video

U.S. Overdose Deaths Remain Higher Than in Other Countries — Trend-Tracking and Harm-Reduction Policies Could Help

This blog post reviews the rate of overdose fatality in the United States and how it compares to that of other countries. The blog post also reviews harm reduction policies that could assuage this crisis.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Policymakers and Payers
States
Graduate Education
Source
The Commonwealth Fund
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Using SAMHSA Funds to Implement Evidence-Based Contingency Management Services

This Advisory describes a change in funding for Contingency Management (CM) and applicable guardrails. It also outlines the evidence underlying CM and permissible uses of funding for this treatment intervention. At this time, the change in funding applies only to State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grants (subject to an update to grant terms and conditions).
Format
Advisory
Audience
States
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
PDF