The RCT found that this type of intervention reduced a person’s alcohol use after a year by more than treatment alone did but did not reduce a person’s drug use by more than treatment alone (Rowe and others, 2007). Peer support and harm reduction A lived experience recovery organisation ( LERO) is an organisation led by people with lived experience of drug and alcohol recovery. LEROs deliver a range of harm reduction interventions, peer support and recovery support services and they can help people to access and engage in treatment and other support services. Peer-led initiatives are set up with little or no funding by people who have accessed (or, in some cases, have struggled to access) treatment and support. This means they are built on local assets and developed in response to community needs, by the community (see definition of asset-based community development in the glossary). Offer a culture of recovery MIDDLESEX COUNTY , NJ – Residents seeking employment who have been impacted, directly or indirectly, by the opioid epidemic now have an opportunity to apply for the Middlesex County Pathways to Recovery program led by the Office of Workforce and Career Development. Applications are now open and can be found at middlesexcountynj.gov/pathways and can be filled out in English and in Spanish. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2024.

Are the program’s services based on scientific research and principles? Such evidence-based care is linked to better outcomes.

 HOW WE DO IT

Best D, Albertson K, Irving J, Lightowlers C, Mama-Rudd A and Chaggar A. The UK Life in Recovery Survey 2015: the first national UK survey of addiction recovery experiences (accessed: 18 June 2023). Sheffield Hallam University, 2015. Addiction doesn’t just affect individuals; addiction is a family affliction. The uncertainty of a person’s behavior tests family bonds, creates considerable shame, and give rise to great amounts of anxiety. Because families are interactive systems, everyone is affected, usually in ways they are not even aware of. When a person goes into treatment, it isn’t just a case of fixing the problem person. The change destabilizes the adaptation the family has made—and while the person in recovery is learning to do things differently, so must the rest of the family learn to do things differently. Otherwise, their behavior is at risk of cementing the problem in place. Ed Day is a Clinical Reader at the Institute for Mental Health at the University of Birmingham and a Consultant in Addiction Psychiatry with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust. His work is split between clinical research and teaching at the University of Birmingham and clinical practice in the Solihull Integrated Addiction Service (SIAS), a partnership between the NHS and three third sector providers.

Contemplation: Substances users begin to realize that their use has some negative consequences and it might be time to make a change, but they have no commitment to action. Connection—being in touch with others who believe in and support recovery, and actively seeking help from others who have experienced similar difficulties. Intensive support is often needed for recovery from addiction. RSS primarily support people to sustain their recovery in the community long term. These services help people to build on their strengths including the gains made in treatment if they have accessed it. This includes support to deepen their connection to recovery communities and wider community. Not only is addiction relapse common, relapse is not considered a sign of failure. In fact, people in recovery might be better off if the term “relapse” were abandoned altogether and “recurrence” substituted, because it is more consistent with the process and less stigmatizing.Recovery processes that do not involve a trained clinician, but are often community-based and utilize peer support. Healthy environments can include a person’s home and other places where they spend their time. Someone in recovery can improve their wellbeing and increase their recovery capital if they: The roles of treatment and recovery support services in a ROSC are not entirely distinct or separate, nor do or should they operate solely within the definitions given here. In an effective ROSC, the relationships between treatment and recovery services:

In peer support groups, people can help each other to sustain their individual recovery and strengthen their sense of purpose and direction. This can happen informally and organically with friends and family members, or formally through projects or services as volunteers or workers (Humphreys, 2004). Engaging in meaningful activity The existing guidance shows why local areas should focus on lived experience initiatives and recovery support services. Until now the guidance about these issues has been disparate and there has been a need for a comprehensive set of guidance in one place. So, this guidance aims to provide that. accountability to the recovery community: RCOs are usually independent, not-for-profit organisations working with treatment providers and other organisations, but retaining independent governance structuresWe are aware of 33 LEROs in England working in at least 40 local authorities. Peer-led initiatives: what they are Meaning and purpose—finding and developing a new sense of purpose, which can come from many sources. It may include rediscovering a work or social role, finding new recreational interests, or developing a new sense of spiritual connection. The important feature is that the interest avert boredom and provide rewards that outweigh the desire to return to substance use.