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Recovery Ecosystem

Recovery Ecosystem

Experience our Recovery Ecosystem and see what a recovery ready community looks like for someone seeking help. This infographic details programs and options that respect the multiple pathways of recovery including best fit options for all manifestations of the recovering person. Options not listed below but we would like to mention include alternative peer groups, family support options, and medication assisted recovery.

Collegiate Recovery

  • A supportive environment within the campus culture reinforces the decision to disengage from addictive behaviors (1).
  • approximately 200 collegiate recovery programs (2).

Harm Reduction

  • Harm reduction is a set of policies and practices intended to reduce the negative effects of drug and alcohol use (3).
  • National Harm Reduction reports 820 unique sites that have registered that distribute overdose reversal medication.

Peer Recovery Support Specialists/Coaches

  • Peer support is the process of giving and receiving encouragement and assistance to achieve long-term recovery offering emotional support, shared knowledge, teaching skills, provide practical assistance, and connect people with resources and communities for support (4).
  • In 2019, Mental Health America reported a significant decrease of 90% in average number of acute inpatient days per month with the influence of Peer Support Specialists (5).

Recovery Community Organizations

  • An independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery (6).
  • 150 local Recovery Community Organizations (7).

Recovery High Schools

  • Secondary schools designed specifically for students in recovery from substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders (8).
  • 46 Recovery High Schools (9).

Recovery Residences

  • a shared living environment free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered upon peer supports and connection to services that promote sustained recovery from substance use disorders (10).
  • In 2017, SAMHSA reported a 60% decline in overdoses from 635 to 245 with the use of certified houses holding 4 or more people.

 

  1. Harris, K. S., Kimball, T. G., Casiraghi, A. M., & Maison, S. J. (2014). Collegiate Recovery Programs. Peabody Journal of Education, 89(2), 229–243.
  2. Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
  3. Marlatt, G. (1996). Harm reduction: Come as you are. Addictive Behaviors, 21(6), 779–788.
  4. Reif, S., Braude, L., Lyman, D. R., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., Salim, O., & Delphin-Rittmon, M. E. (2014). Peer Recovery Support for Individuals With Substance Use Disorders: Assessing the Evidence. Psychiatric Services, 65(7), 853–861.
  5. Mental Health America. (2018, May). Evidence for Peer Support.
    This report by Mental Health America provides support for the statistics listed in the peer recovery programs section of this document.
  6. Ornelas, J., Aguiar, R., Sacchetto, B., & Jorge-Monteiro, M. F. (2012). Community-based participatory research: a collaborative study to measure capabilities towards recovery in mental health community organizations. Psychology, Community & Health, 1(1), 3–18.
  7. Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
  8. Finch, A. J., Tanner-Smith, E., Hennessy, E., & Moberg, D. P. (2017). Recovery high schools: Effect of schools supporting recovery from substance use disorders. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(2), 175–184.
  9. Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
  10. The Society For Community Research. (2013). The Role of Recovery Residences in Promoting Long-Term Addiction Recovery. American Journal of Community Psychology, 52(3–4), 406–411.