This study sought to understand important changes in co-occurring opioid and nonopioid drug use (i.e., polysubstance use) within the opioid crisis in the United States. Past-month use of at least 1 nonopioid drug occurred in nearly all participants (> 90%) in this study.

This paper emphasizes that viewing opioid trends in a “silo” ignores the fact that polysubstance use is ubiquitous among those with opioid use disorder and that significant changes in polysubstance use should be monitored alongside opioid trends.

This study surveyed US adults about the prevalence of alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems, whether they were resolved, and if so by what means, including assisted (treatment, medication) and unassisted resolution pathways.

The paper found that tens of millions of Americans have successfully resolved an AOD problem using a variety of traditional and non-traditional means. Its findings suggest a need for a broadening of the menu of self-change and community-based options that can facilitate and support long-term AOD problem resolution.

This is a rural health policy brief from the CDC, as a companion to its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders, and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan areas, providing policy recommendations for rural areas in addressing the opioid crisis related to increasing adherence to evidence-based prescribing practices, expanding access to medication-assisted treatment, and increasing the availability of overdose-reversing drugs such as naloxone. Case studies of community programs are highlighted in this document. 

This paper reviews the policy environment surrounding recovery support services (RSS), the needs to which they should respond, and the status of current recovery support models. It concludes that RSS should be further assessed for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, that greater efforts must be made to develop the RSS delivery workforce, and that RSS should capitalize on ongoing efforts to create a comprehensive, integrated and patient-centered health care system.

This is an academic paper that presents a case study on providing an online recovery support service, SMART Recovery meetings, in Kansas, a predominantly rural state. The implementation of the adapted program and lessons learned are discussed. 

This is a report from the Public Library Association and OCLC that describes how public libraries are supporting their communities through the opioid crisis and how libraries are partnering with organizations to meet local needs. The responses of eight public libraries across the nation are discussed in detail within this document. 

This is a website from the research center RAND that serves as a source for innovative research in opioid policy science. Tools and information on responses to the opioid crisis that target a wide range of stakeholders are provided, which includes a database of academic literature. 

This is a study that followed 931 substance using women who either received traditional services or traditional services plus a recovery coach. The study found that the use of recovery coaches in child welfare significantly decreases the risk of substance exposure at birth.

This report, funded by RIZE Massachusetts, investigates evidence for using Recovery Coach services in Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) care in Massachusetts, including the definition of a Recovery Coach, the role Recovery Coaches play in recovery, the scope of Recovery Coach services, and the effect they have on health outcomes and cost.

This toolkit by Faces and Voices of Recovery describes the role of recovery community organizations (RCOs) in the community response to substance use disorders.  It discusses already-implemented RCOs and contains steps to facilitate implementation of a new RCO.

The Recovery Friendly Workplace Toolkit is prepared by the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence and aims to educate employers on substance use disorder and its impact on the workplace in order to encourage them to adopt practices aimed at providing recovery resources in the workplace. Practical tools and information are provided. 

This is an academic paper that uses the National Recovery Study to specifically examine recovery from opioid problems. Findings suggest that people in early recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) likely need more comprehensive services over a longer period of time compared with those in recovery from alcohol use disorders (AUD).