Substance Use Disorders "SUDs"
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SUDs are treatable alcohol & drug-related brain illnesses that impact individuals, their families and communities. Building out programs and services is key to effective prevention & recovery.
On this page:
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Brief
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Recorded Presentation
Addiction Neuroscience 101
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Articles/Webinars/Papers/ReportsIn this section:
1. Alcohol
2. Cannabis
3. Children & Youth
4. Culture, Race, Ethnicity
5. EmploymentA guide for Workers with Substance Use Disorder: What you should know, Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN), 2025
Individual Placement & Support (IPS) for People with Co-occurring Substance Use Disorder, Westat, 2023 Substance Use Disorders Recovery with a Focus on Employment and Education, U.S. Health & Human Services, SAMHSA, 2021 6. Fentanyl
7. State & National Reports/PapersNational Substance Use Crisis Data: 46.5 million adult Americans had a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2024. The most common SUD was alcohol use disorder, with 28.1 million adult Americans. The data presented here are supplied by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has data for cocaine, stimulants, and opioid overdose deaths, which is 21,877, 29,132, and 54,101 respectively, for the twelve-month period ending December 2024.
Substance Use Disorder Services in California Webinar Recording, CA Health & Human Services Behavioral Health Task Force National Information on Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Mental Health Treatment Facilities, This annual report presents findings on the key operational characteristics of substance use and mental health treatment facilities, use of pharmacotherapies, language assistance services, and suicide prevention assistance services, SAMHSA, 2024 Behavioral Health Transformation Presentation, Topics include: Introduction to Behavioral Health Transformation; Current Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services County Funding, Integrating SUD in BHSA and Assertive Field-Based Initiation for SUD Treatment Services, CA Department of Health Care Services, 2024 The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023 In Their Own Words: How Fragmented Care Harms People with Both Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder, CA Health Care Foundation, August 2021 Addiction & Mental Health As The Nation Moves Toward Recovery from COVID-19, The Kennedy Forum Recording Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Analysis, SAMHSA, 2021 Integrating SUD Services - Sustaining Progress in Challenging Times, National Council for Behavioral Health, October 2020 Blueprint for Behavioral Health, Behavioral Health Action Coalition, 2020 Attorney General Becerra Urges Insurance Providers to Improve Access to Care for Individuals to help Combat the Opioid Epidemic, 2019 Drug Medical Organized Delivery System, CA Department of Health Care Services Facing Addiction in America, Surgeon General's Report, Surgeon General, 2016 CA Expands Substance Abuse Treatment For Low-Income Residents, NPR, 2015 8. Opioids
9. Overdose
10. Peer Providers
11. Workforce
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Definitions & TreatmentsIn this section:
1. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means that their drinking causes distress and harm. AUD can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence. More information from Medline Plus
2. Contingency Management Evidence-based clinical protocols that deliver earned incentives to patients who achieve target treatment outcomes such as not using stimulants. Earning incentives such as a small gift card can help trigger the brain’s reward system in the absence of stimulant use. Earning incentives can help support and reinforce recovery. California is the first state in the nation to offer contingency management as a Medicaid benefit. Fact Sheet 3. Harm Reduction emphasizes approaches, initiatives, programs and services that promote compassion and preservation of life. It seeks to reduce the harmful impacts of stigma, mistreatment, discrimination, and harsh punishment of people who use drugs, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. In July of 2025, information on Harm Reduction was removed from the SAMHSA website and replaced with a link to the Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit. 4. Kratom - nida.nih.gov/research-topics/kratom 5. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) means utilizing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Medications commonly used include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, which reduce or prevent cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and reduce the risk of overdose. MAT is primarily used for the treatment of addiction to opioids (heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates). Additionally, acamprosate may be used to reduce cravings for individuals with alcohol use disorder, and disulfiram deters drinking because combining it with alcohol causes physical illness. Naltrexone is also used for alcohol use disorder since it blocks the euphoric effects and feelings of intoxication.
6. Naloxone
7. Opioids are compounds that resemble opium in addictive properties or physiological effects. Examples of opioids include: morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl. 8. Opioid Use Treatment:
9. Recovery Housing is a "catch-all" term for transitional housing, housing and sober living .
10. SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) is an integrated, comprehensive, evidence-based approach to identify, reduce and prevent risky or unhealthy substance use and can be utilized in a variety of different settings. SBIRT & SBIRT for Youth, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 2021 11. Screening Tools (SAMHSA) 12. Sobering Centers: A sobering center is a short-term care facility that provides a safe place for adults to sober up from alcohol or other substances. Sobering centers are often used as an alternative to the emergency room or jail.
13. Sober Living Environments are residences where all residents are recovering from substance use disorders. Residents follow rules designed to help them maintain their new sober life, and receive support in the form of counseling and other services. 14. Stimulants include: cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly), and prescription drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin. 15. Vending Machines
16. Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is a veterinary tranquilizer that has been found in some illicit drug supplies. People often use xylazine without knowing it when it is added to other drugs, most frequently fentanyl. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Also see: Xylazine: A Drug that Naloxone Can’t Combat, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 2023 |
