COVID-19

The COVID-19 public health emergency is particularly challenging for people in treatment for substance use disorder, people in recovery, and people who use drugs. This collection features educational resources that can be adapted for local settings, specific guidance on harm reduction, recovery housing and providing peer support services during the pandemic, and links to websites that provide high-quality information, data, and/or examples for local communities to adopt.

This collection includes:

• A one page guide preparing patients for virtual visits with their behavioral health care provider
• A report and 2-page report summary about how COVID-19 has affected patients in treatment and recovery from substance use disorders SUD from Community Catalyst, Faces & Voice of Recovery, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine
• A link to the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s repository of educational resources offering specific guidance for delivering addiction medicine treatment within the context of COVID-19
• An educational resource provides recommendations for organizations interested in offering culturally and linguistically appropriate services in the context of the COVID-19 public health emergency
• A website providing updated information on ongoing studies and research findings related to COVID-19 mental health research from the COVID-Minds Network
• A guide designed for local policymakers and civic institutions on improving mental health and well-being during COVID-19, including recommendations and strategies for the immediate crisis and the recovery phase based on the Well Being Trust’s framework
• A link to the response page of the National Academies that includes resources for supporting individuals with substance use disorder and those who experience pain
• A 2-page guide details harm reduction and syringe exchange programs during the COVID-19 pandemic from Higher Ground Harm Reduction, Reynolds Health Strategies, Harm Reduction Coalition, & Vital Strategies
• A 10-page guide for operations of treatment courts during the COVID-19 pandemic from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
• A report describing disparities in the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and the lack of access to services for these populations from the Office of Behavioral Health Equity in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
•  A guide to operating pre-arrest diversion programs during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative.
• A guide for providing addiction treatment services for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic from the American Society for Addiction Medicine.
• A report summarizing research into how trauma and racism lead to chronic stress and affect the health of black Americans from the Office of Behavioral Health Equity at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
• A toolkit from Montefiore Health System for maintaining patient access to treatment for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 national emergency
• A link to the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project at Harvard Medical School, which has published COVID-19 fact sheets in over 30 languages
• Seven publications from the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine that provide guidance on maintaining substance use disorder treatment during the COVID-19 public health emergency for the following audiences:
  • Clinicians
  • Clinicians treating patients with substance use disorder in the hospital setting
  • Patients who use substances
  • Patients engaged in substance use disorder treatment
  • Patients engaged in substance use disorder treatment (Spanish language version)
  • Youth engaged in substance use disorder treatment
  • Youth Spanish language version
• A guide to harm reduction strategies during this crisis and a link to the Harm Reduction Coalition’s COVID-19 website
• A guide to providing peer recovery supports through digital technology from Unity Recovery in Philadelphia, PA
• A guide for recovery housing from the National Association of Recovery Residences
• A link to the COVID-19 response from Oregon Recovers, which may serve as an example for other state recovery organizations
• A link to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s COVID-19 resources page, which includes data and information on federal and state responses to the public health emergency

For updated information on federal COVID-19 response, please see the website www.coronavirus.gov. We also encourage readers to visit the websites of their state agencies for information about local responses and resources.

If you have educational materials, implementation guides, or toolkits that would help policy makers, health and treatment providers, or patients and caregivers address substance-related issues during this public health emergency, please consider submitting them to us through our call for submissions page.