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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.

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Understanding ASAM Criteria: A Foundational Overview and 4th Edition Highlights

This webinar provides an overview of the ASAM Criteria and its 2023 fourth edition updates, emphasizing a patient centered evidence based framework for assessing and treating substance use disorders with practical guidance on screening, level of care decisions, and continuity of care across settings including corrections and reentry.
Format
Webinar/Video
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Source
Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
Year
Resource Type
Video

Why Menopause Matters in Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

The blog explains how hormonal and life changes during menopause can increase women’s risk of substance use and relapse, highlighting the need for more awareness and tailored prevention, treatment, and recovery care.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

2025 AMA Report on Substance Use and Treatment: Progress, Policy and Future Directions (PDF - 6.6 MB)

This report presents data on substance use and treatment. It identifies existing gaps in pain care, treatment for opioid use disorder, naloxone, and emerging threats such as polysubstance use and cannabis use disorder. Though, opioid-related deaths have dropped recently, the report concludes that the opioid epidemic is evolving faster than our systems are.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Source
American Medical Association (AMA)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care (PDF - 1.6 MB)

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

Buprenorphine Self-Start (PDF - 3.4 MB)

This document provides patient‑friendly guidance for starting buprenorphine outside of traditional clinical settings, offering multilingual self‑start instructions.
Format
Fact Sheet/Brochure
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Patients
Communities
Source
CA Bridge
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Clinical Guidance for PrEP

This page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides comprehensive guidance on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.

Format
Web Page
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Clinical Screening and Diagnosis for Hepatitis C

This page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides comprehensive guidelines on clinical screening and diagnosis for Hepatitis C.

Format
Web Page
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Contingency Management for Adults with Substance Use Disorder: Evidence Roundup

This Better Care Playbook Evidence Roundup highlights emerging evidence on the effectiveness of contingency management interventions and strategies to scale implementation.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Policymakers and Payers
States
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
Center for Health Care Strategies
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Continuing Medical Education Articles

The American Medical Association (AMA) offers specialized CME courses in addiction care.

Format
Web-Based Course
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Medical Providers
Source
American Medical Association (AMA)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page