To better understand how to prepare and cope during the COVID-19 outbreak you can find below resources to support treatment and recovery service providers, people who may be using substances, people in recovery, and other allies. People using substances and those in early recovery have added challenges and risks during this time and should take extra care. Many programs offer on-site services and are taking precautions, or providing services online and over telehealth. Talk with a Helpline Specialist at 800-327-5050 to learn more about services that may be right for you.
Support for people who may be using substances
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine: Guidance for People Who Use Substances on COVID-19
- Harm Reduction Coalition: Safer Drug Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution programs in MA: Find a site near you
- Overdose prevention/naloxone information: OD prevention, where to get naloxone (Narcan), etc.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders
- Naloxone For All: Massachusetts Naloxone resources
- Resources for Drug Use and COVID-19 Risk Reduction: guidance documents, government advisories, and tools for people who use drugs
- Never Use Alone: Designed to prevent overdose death for anyone using drugs alone
Support for people in early and long-term recovery
- Yale Program in Addiction Medicine: COVID-19 Guidance for Patients Engaged in Substance Use Treatment
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Comprehensive information around substance use and mental health and COVID-19
- Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR): Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) & the Recovery Community
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information and Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Comprehensive information and updates
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Emotional Well-being During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Social distancing and recovery from substance use: Social Distancing and Implications for Active Recovery from Addiction
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH): Updated daily with the latest information about COVID-19 in Massachusetts
- Opioid Task Force: Local and national resources for providers, people using substances, people in recovery, and loved ones
- Grayken Center for Addiction (Boston Medical Center): Local and national resources for providers, people using substances, people in recovery, and loved ones
- Peer Recovery Support Centers: Online community and support for all stages of recovery
- The Phoenix: A free, sober, active community now with virtual classes
- Deaf Recovery Coaching (ASL fluent and use of video): 413.347.4094
Recovery meetings online
- Virtual Recovery Resources/Online mutual aid meetings: A SAMHSA tip sheet with resources that can be used to virtually support recovery from mental/substance use disorders
- Apps for alcohol addiction recovery: free and low-cost apps to aid your recovery
- Alcoholics Anonymous online: Offers online meetings with specialized topics with a variety of meeting formats (i.e. chat, text, e-mail, etc.)
- AA Phone Meetings: Conference call meetings every day of the week
- AA Western MA: Intergroup Virtual Meetings
- AA Eastern MA: Intergroup Virtual Meetings
- Narcotics Anonymous: Able to search for online meetings in multiple languages
- NA Phone Meetings: Connect with NA by phone
- New England Region of Narcotic Anonymous: Virtual meeting list
- Marijuana Anonymous: Virtual meetings via video or conference call services
- Smart Recovery: Mutual support meetings are science-based, self-empowered addiction recovery
- LifeRing Secular Recovery: Provides mutual support online meetings using Zoom
- Women For Sobriety: 24/7 message board where women can share and seek support for their recovery, as well as online text chat meetings that occur 2 times a day
- In the Rooms: Offers online meetings with specialized topics and multiple modalities, including 12 step, non-12 step, over all wellness, and overall mental health
- The Herren Project Recovery meetings: Open to all recovery pathways; family members and loved ones encouraged to attend
- The Addiction Recovery Guide: Offers a variety of online communications, including chat rooms, message boards, etc.
- Step Chat Recovery Chat Rooms: Offers a variety of meetings based on an already set schedule using text chat
- 12Step.org: Offers a variety of online meetings and various other outside resources
- Facebook Recovery Groups (log-in to Facebook, search group, ask to join):
- Clean and Sober Addiction Recovery Support Group
- Daily Reflections AA
- Massachusetts Organization of Addiction Recovery
- Methadone & Buprenorphine Discussion and support
- MIPSA-Methadone Information & Patient Support Network
- Mommy Group
- Sober Mommies
- Recovery Soldiers
- Send it! (Recovery Network)
- Virtual Recovery – Meetings At Home
- Voices To End Addiction & Inspire Recovery
- Women in AA
Support for loved ones
- Al-Anon: Online meetings of mutual support for those who are struggling with the effects of someone else’s drinking
- Alateen: Chat Meetings for 13-18 year olds who are struggling with the effects of someone else’s drinking
- Learn to Cope: 24/7 peer support forum for families dealing with addiction and recovery
- Allies in Recovery: Online community of support for families with a loved one in active addiction. Free for Massachusetts residents. (Use zip code)
- Smart Recovery Family & Friends: Online meetings
- Herren Project online family support: Online grief support and family support groups
- Narcan education from the City of Boston: Watch a short video on how to use naloxone (Narcan)
- More information on overdose prevention: OD prevention, where to get naloxone (Narcan), etc.
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH): Updated daily with the latest information about COVID-19 in Massachusetts
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Comprehensive information and updates
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information and Resources
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Emotional Well-being During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Grayken Center for Addiction (Boston Medical Center): Local and national resources for providers, people using substances, people in recovery, and loved ones
- Opioid Task Force: Local and national resources for providers, people using substances, people in recovery, and loved ones
Support for providers
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH): Guidance for Substance Addiction Service Providers
- Substance Use and Mental Health Association: Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19
- National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers: Resource Centers Information
- Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services for Medicare Fee-For-Service Providers: Telehealth Services Booklet
- National Association of Social Workers: Telehealth
- Drug Enforcement Agency: Telemedicine
- US Department of Health and Human Services: FAQs on Telehealth and HIPPA