'Partners for Recovery' Posts Web Site
SAMHSA recently announced the launch of a Web site dedicated
to building partnerships that support the advancement
of prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance
use and mental health disorders.
 The
new Partners for Recovery (PFR) Web site, at www.pfr.samhsa.gov,
offers a central resource for organizations and groups
that work to help individuals and families achieve and
maintain recovery.
Sponsored by SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT),
the recovery initiative provides technical resources, including
important journal articles and reports, and support through the
new Web site.
In 2005, Partners for Recovery was broadened from a
focus on addiction treatment to a SAMHSA-wide initiative.
The initiative's Steering Committee, which guides and
provides leadership to the effort, now includes Agency
representatives from all three disciplines: substance
abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health.
Five key priorities are highlighted on the Web site:
Recovery is an ongoing process that starts before
sustained abstinence is achieved (see SAMHSA News article,
Consensus Statement Defines Mental Health
Recovery).
Collaboration occurs when organizations
and systems that help people with (or at risk for) substance
abuse disorders work together to create a continuum of
recovery support services, including prevention, intervention,
and treatment.
Stigma reduction is a top priority
for the initiative. Training sessions are under way to
inform individuals and organizations about their rights
under Federal and state laws. A national public education
campaign is being coordinated through the National Council
on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
Workforce development addresses complex
issues facing the addiction treatment field, such as
recruitment, retention, and staff skills development.
Leadership development includes the
sponsorship of regional leadership institutes to focus
on developing a cadre of emerging leaders. Many current
leaders who work in the field of addiction services are
preparing to retire.
National leaders in the field identified these five
topics as the most important and compelling issues for
the growth and advancement of treatment and recovery
across the Nation. Focusing on these topics furthers
SAMHSA's mission to build resilience and facilitate recovery
for people with alcohol and drug problems or mental illnesses.
In addition to links to related Web sites and reports,
resources include the Know Your Rights brochure
for people in treatment for (and recovery from) alcohol
and drug problems. Other Web site features include presentations
on issues facing the addiction treatment workforce, peer-reviewed
papers on developing new leadership, the President's
New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health, the Annapolis
Coalition on Behavioral Health, and other state and Federal
resources on developing recovery-oriented systems of
care.
"The Web site's content currently reflects its
original focus—substance use disorders. However,
over time, the content will include the initiative's
broadened focus on substance abuse prevention and mental
health issues as well," said Donna M. Cotter, M.B.A.,
Partners for Recovery Coordinator at CSAT.
Goals of the initiative include defining recovery and
providing models and tools to support it; fostering collaboration
among the various systems that affect people with substance
use disorders (such as mental health, primary care, and
child welfare); and reducing the stigma associated with
addiction.
Individuals as well as organizations and states working
on recovery issues, stigma reduction, workforce development,
and leadership development in the areas of addiction
prevention, treatment, and mental health are invited
to share information so it can be made available on the
Partners for Recovery Web site.
For additional information on Partners for Recovery,
visit www.pfr.samhsa.gov. 
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