SAMHSA: Government Resources for Addiction at samsha.gov

Perhaps you have heard of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) but don’t know much about what the group does. This article will elaborate on what SAMHSA is and does, and what resources are available to you on the agency’s website.

What is SAMHSA? SAMHSA’s vision is to facilitate “a life in the community for everyone” by providing resources for individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders and for their families. Mental health disorders and addiction are associated with many social problems: homelessness, suicide, crime, HIV/AIDS and other disease transmission, and damage to families, especially children. Through its various educational programs, SAMHSA aims to reduce the social stigma that is associated with mental illness and addiction.

What does SAMHSA do? Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA provides funding to numerous academic institutions to further science’s understanding of how to prevent and treat these areas. SAMHSA provides information and resources to anyone affected by addiction. Additionally, the agency establishes, funds, and maintains numerous community programs to prevent and treat substance abuse and other related problems.

What addiction-related resources are available at samhsa.gov?

• Recent news about discoveries related to addiction prevention, treatment, policy and associated topics.
• Information about specific drugs and their potential for physical and psychological side effects (including problems posed during pregnancy).
• National statistics about drug use, abuse, addiction, treatment, prevention, and other topics for many different demographic groups.
• Employee training materials for employers who are trying to promote a substance-free workplace.
• Training materials for community and church leaders who are committed to helping those in their communities recover from alcoholism or addiction.
• Information about and links to various government programs such as: Access to Recovery (which provides vouchers to individuals to increase their options for substance abuse treatment); Older Americans Technical Assistance Center (which helps senior citizens enhance their quality of life if they suffer from related problems); Recovery Community Services Program (which is a person-to-person program that helps begin the recovery process); and the Workplace Resource Center (which provides additional information about stopping alcohol and drug use on the job). These are only a few of the many resources available on the site!
• An interactive frequently asked questions page that answers many questions related to substance abuse disorders.
• Publications on many drug- and alcohol-related topics, many of which are targeted toward researchers, policymakers, and other community leaders. Other publications are geared to children and teens.