Consumer Health Minute: National Recovery Month

Posted by Carolyn Martin on September 6th, 2023 Posted in: Consumer Health, Health Observances, Mental Health, Substance Misuse
Tags: consumer health, health information, mental health, National Health Observances, outreach, Substance Use Disorders

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One of the exercises in some of our NNLM consumer health classes is looking at such resources as County Health Rankings and Roadmaps to get a better understanding of the health issues most prevalent in the library’s or organization’s community. Quite often mental health and/or substance use disorders are listed as common health issues.

Then the next question is, what can your library or organization do to help address these health issues? It may seem that there is little you can do, and you may feel a little helpless or unsure of what your organization can do.

As information professionals, one thing you can do is provide awareness and resources.

September is National Recovery Month which celebrates the gains made by those in recovery from mental and substance use disorders and to give hope to those who are struggling. It also is an opportunity to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, offers a Recovery Month Toolkit for you to use in bring awareness and resources to your communities. The toolkit includes:

• Key messages and themes to use for each week in September.
• Social media content to help spread awareness about the process of recovery and to share hopeful message that most people who get help do recover.
• Resources for learning about and supporting those in recovery.
• Promotional materials about recovery in September and beyond.
• Stickers, virtual meeting backgrounds, email signature templates, posters and more are provided.
• Materials are available in English and Spanish.
• Materials are downloadable and some are even customizable.

SAMHSA has also scheduled free virtual events during the month of September. Consider highlighting or even attending to become more informed about this topic and how it can help your communities.

• September 7 | Family Connections: Parenting and Recovery
• September 7 | Walk for Recovery
• September 20 | Special Release of Research Findings on Recovery

All are free but require registration. To find more about these events visit the SAMHSA National Recovery Month website and scroll down the page.

You will find additional information about mental health and substance use on MedlinePlus. You can use the Search box or go to the Health Topics page to view the categories on Mental Health and Behavior as well as Substance Abuse Problems. Some links are for broader information while others can provide more specifics such as for diet or pregnancy.

NNLM has two guides with information links to consider.

• Public Libraries Guide includes sections on mental health and substance misuse
• Substance Misuse Disorders