Recovery Month is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). CSAT, created in October 1992 by a Congressional mandate, provides national leadership in the Federal government's effort to improve the lives of individuals and their families affected by alcohol and drug abuse. CSAT works to improve access to clinically sound, cost-effective addiction treatment to reduce the health and social cost to our communities and the Nation. Such factors as inadequate capacity, limited public and private health insurance benefits, and stigma have contributed to the gap between the number of people who need treatment and the number who receive it.

CSAT works cooperatively with a myriad of public and private addiction treatment organizations and related entities to identify, develop, and support approaches and programs that expand and enhance treatment services. As a part of those efforts, CSAT produces a number of publications that provide technical assistance to providers seeking to deliver the most effective treatment services to their clients. CSAT also aims to assist the public with localized efforts to promote treatment effectiveness and encourage communities to invest in addiction treatment services.

Recovery Month provides a platform to celebrate people in recovery and those who serve them. Each September, thousands of treatment programs around the country celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about treatment, how it works, for whom, and why. Substance abuse treatment providers have made significant accomplishments, having transformed the lives of untold thousands of Americans. These successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore, Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these successes.

Recovery Month also serves to educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis, that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is possible. Recovery Month highlights the benefits of treatment for not only the affected individual, but for their family, friends, workplace, and society as a whole. Educating the public reduces the stigma associated with addiction and treatment. Accurate knowledge of the disease helps people to understand the importance of supporting treatment programs, those who work within the treatment field, and those in need of treatment.

No effort is too small. Anyone can get involved. Following are only a few examples.

• Host a community forum.
• Write a press release or letter to the editor highlighting a local treatment center or the accomplishments of a member of the community in recovery.
• Distribute information to educate others on the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment.
• Sponsor a fundraiser for a local nonprofit treatment facility such as a silent auction or a Run/Walk event.

For more information or other ideas, please reference the Recovery Month kit currently available on this site.

CSAT produces and distributes a Recovery Month kit to various national and local organizations; Federal, State and local government agencies and officials; grantees; professional treatment associations; and private treatment organizations. The Recovery Month kit is a user-friendly, comprehensive package of materials designed to assist the recipient with outreach to local media, key constituency groups, and special audiences. The kit is also filled with resources for individuals seeking substance abuse and treatment-related information. In addition to the kit, Recovery Month posters (large format) and flyers (small format) are produced to advertise and promote the celebration.

Recovery Month also hosts an interactive Web site where materials may be downloaded or ordered, news is distributed, and events are posted by locality.

Public Service Announcements for television, radio, and print media are produced to highlight the effectiveness of treatment and to encourage those in need of treatment to seek help. CSAT's National Helpline at  1-800-662-HELP, a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week Helpline that offers free and confidential substance abuse and addiction-related information and treatment referrals is also highlighted.

National, State, and local governments are encouraged to produce proclamations dedicating September as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in their jurisdictions.

For more information about Recovery Month, call the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at 301-443-5052 or click on any of the currently available Recovery Month kits available csat.samhsa.gov or www.health.org/