Each September, SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sponsors “National Recovery Month” to increase awareness of mental health and substance use issues.
2019 marks the 30th anniversary of National Recovery Month. The theme for 2019 is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.” This theme “emphasizes the need to share resources and build networks across the country to support the many paths to recovery. It reminds us that mental and substance use disorders affect all of us and that we are all part of the solution.”
Also updated this year is a new logo (pictured) for Recovery Month: “r is for Recovery.”
Current statistics
The Recovery Month toolkit provides a thorough review of important statistics about mental illness, substance use, suicide, and access to treatment in the US. These data (from 2017) include:
- 46.6 million people had any mental illness in the past year. 19.7 million adults had a substance use disorder in the past year. 8.5 million adults had both a mental illness and a substance use disorder.
- 11.4 million people misused opioids and over 72,000 died from a drug overdose.
- Suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death. Over 45,000 people died by suicide in 2016. Suicide rates have increased in nearly every state since 1999. 1.4 million adults made a suicide attempt.
- An estimated 13.5 million adults had a perceived unmet need for mental health care in the past year, including 6.5 million adults who did not receive any mental health services.
Target audiences
This year’s Recovery Month toolkit includes detailed information to help reach four specific target audiences:
1) Community members
Specific information is offered to promote recovery-focused information in our communities, through events, public service announcements, proclamations, social media and information sharing.
2) First responders
Information is provided for educating first responders about providing quality care and acting with sensitivity toward people living with mental and/or substance use disorders, especially people in crisis.
3) Healthcare community
This section recognizes the important role of the healthcare community in supporting the many paths to recovery and gives healthcare workers the information they need to be active participants in the effort.
4) Youth and emerging leaders
Youth and young adult leaders (ages 12 to 25) represent a key population that can promote fresh, creative ideas in the prevention, treatment, and recovery. Resources are provide to educate and engage this dynamic group of people.
Get involved
There’s a wealth of material on the Recovery Month website to help you plan advocacy events, educate others, and do targeted outreach with specific groups, such as those listed above.
Additionally, you will find information about some of the most common mental disorders and misused substances, plus numerous links to organizations that provide information and resources about prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.
Let’s all take action now to help fulfill the campaign’s theme to “join the voices for recovery.”
Here’s a question: What other ideas do you have to promote National Recovery Month in your community? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend.