Promoting recovery in an evolving policy context: What do we know and what do we need to know about recovery support services?

Abstract

As both a concept and a movement, “recovery” is increasingly guiding substance use disorder (SUD) services and policy. One sign of this change is the emergence of recovery support services that attempt to help addicted individuals using a comprehensive continuing care model. This paper reviews the policy environment surrounding recovery support services, the needs to which they should respond, and the status of current recovery support models. We conclude that recovery support services (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. As the SUD treatment system undergoes its most important transformation in at least 40 years, recovery research and the lived experience of recovery from addiction should be central to reform.

Flourishing, languishing and moderate mental health: Prevalence and change in mental health during recovery from drug and alcohol problems

“…"Recovery" is the aim of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services (Laudet & Humphreys, 2013). Historically abstinence has been one of the primary outcomes of recovery from SUDs (Garbutt, West, Carey, Lohr, & Crews, 1999;Laudet & White, 2010;Rudolf & Watts, 2002).…”

Elements That Define Recovery: The Experiential Perspective

“…First, it would guide development of recovery support services (Kaplan, 2008;Laudet and Humphreys, 2013) by addressing aspects of recovery that are relevant to recovering individuals but often neglected by traditional SUD services-in part because they have heretofore not been identifi ed empirically.…”

User-involvement/oriented Care Models and Substance Use Disorder Care: Review of the Literature

“…SAMHSA also published Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 42) [62], which references "The Six Guiding Principles in Treating Clients with Co-occurring Disorders (COD), " which includes "employing a recovery perspective"("SAMHSA TIP 42,) [63]. The specific focus on SUD care, with respect to a recovery model approach, provides a foundation for studies, which have explored the utility of recovery based interventions in SUD care.…”

“…In a recent article, the researchers make the statement, "As the SUD treatment system undergoes its most important transformation in at least 40 years, recovery research and the lived experience of recovery from addiction should be central to reform" [63]. Within this article, the authors discuss recovery in the same holistic terminology used by SAMHSA, which speaks to the core of what persons in recovery from any illness desire from life, to be the best version of themselves that they can be.…”

“…Clossey and Mehnert make recommendations for agencies to use to overcome barriers to implementation of recovery model care [63]. They explored the use of appreciative inquiry (AI), an approach that fosters growth and development of persons or organizations.…”