September 2021Vol. 22, No. 8September Is National Recovery Month
Each September, National Recovery Month aims to shine a light on the recovery community and the dedication of the service providers who make recovery in all its forms possible. This year's National Recovery Month theme is "Recovery Is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community." Visit the National Recovery Month website to find a calendar of events from communities across the country, a space to upload your Recovery Month images and proclamations, the 2021 Recovery Month Toolkit, and more.
The following are resources to help individuals in recovery from substance use and the service providers who support them:
- National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (cofunded by the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- "Civil Rights Protections for Individuals in Recovery from an Opioid Use Disorder": This five-part video series is a collaboration with the Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The series aims to provide information on applying federal disability rights laws to child welfare programs and activities, discusses protections that apply to some individuals in recovery from an opioid use disorder, provides an overview of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and addresses common misconceptions about MAT as a treatment approach. This series has particular relevance for parents in MAT as well as in supporting the administration's focus on support rather than surveillance of families.
- Opioid Use Disorder and Civil Rights Video and Webinar Series: This training series provides information to child welfare and court professionals about federal disability rights protections that apply to some parents with an opioid or other substance use disorder who are involved with child welfare. (Related CBX article: "Opioid Use Disorder and Civil Rights Video and Webinar Series")
- Child Welfare Information Gateway
For more information about National Recovery Month, contact Elaine Stedt, director, Office of Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau.