Support from family and friends is crucial for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder.By fostering a supportive environment, loved ones play a crucial role in motivating their family member or friend to seek professional help, navigate treatment options, and remain committed to their recovery journey.
Websites
SAMHSA’s National Helpline
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish). Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the website.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call. Text. Chat.
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Talk To Someone Now | Help Yourself | Help Someone Else
Behavioral Health Nevada
This website is a database of behavioral health providers in Nevada specializing in substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment services. All agencies listed are Certified by the Division, SAPTA (Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency).
Know Your Pain Meds
Provides information on how opioids work, alternatives to pain medicine, the overdose reversal medication naloxone, a substance use disorder treatment finder, and submit concerns you have about a medical provider.
National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Information on how drugs affect the brain and body for teens, teachers, and parents.
Stop Overdose
To address the increasing number of overdose deaths related to both prescription opioids and illicit drugs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a website to educate people who use drugs about the dangers of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs, the lifesaving power of naloxone, and the importance of reducing stigma around recovery and treatment options.
Tools & Resources
SAMHSA’s National Helpline
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call. Text. Chat.
Nevada Fentanyl Test Strip Distribution Sites
A list and map of Fentanyl Test Strip Distribution Sites in Nevada.
Nevada Overdose Reversal Medication Finder
Behavioral Health Nevada
How to Use Fentanyl Test Strips
Never Use Alone
Toll-free national overdose prevention, detection, life-saving crisis response and medical intervention services for people who use drugs while alone. Never Use Alone’s peer operators are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
PACT Coalition
The PACT Coalition seeks to empower Southern Nevada with the resources to prevent substance misuse for all ages and promote recovery through culturally competent advocacy, education, stigma reduction, support, and outreach. A diverse cross-section of community leadership is represented by the PACT Coalition that will work together to ensure a sustainable future and a healthier community. PACT Coalition keeps an updated resource list for Southern Nevada.
Join Together Northern Nevada
Join Together Northern Nevada (JTNN) is a coalition based in Northern Nevada whose mission is to create a healthy drug-free community by building successful partnerships to support prevention education and outreach. JTNN keeps an updated resource list for Washoe County students, staff, and families.
Nevada Cares Campus
The Nevada Cares Campus was opened in the Spring of 2021 in Reno, Nevada. The Campus provides shelter to our region’s most vulnerable residents. The campus includes: the Resource Center, Emergency Shelter, Safe Camp, and space for inclement weather needs.
Overdose Reversal Medication for Individuals & Families
Guides to opioid safety and how to use overdose reversal medications.
Partnership to End Addiction
A text-based support and information system to help friends and family members of an individual misusing opioids.
Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit
This toolkit provides guidance to a wide range of individuals on preventing and responding to an overdose. The toolkit also emphasizes that harm reduction and access to treatment are essential aspects of overdose prevention.
Storage and Disposal of Medication
Improper prescription drug use is a serious public health issue. Storing and disposing of medications properly can help reduce harm.
Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES)
The mission of Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES) is to provide affordable, high-quality medical, behavioral health, and support services for all. The Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at Northern Nevada HOPES offers caring, team-based treatment to give you hope and improve your life as you work toward recovery. HOPES accepts Medicaid, most major health plans, and, for those without insurance, has a sliding fee scale that adjusts cost based on what you can afford. If you’re interested in receiving medication-assisted treatment, the first step is to become a HOPES patient by calling 775-786-4673.
Publications
Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change
Foote, Jeffrey. (2014). Beyond addiction : how science and kindness help people change : a guide for families. New York, NY :Scribner
The most innovative leaders in progressive addiction treatment in the US offer a groundbreaking, science-based guide to helping loved ones overcome addiction problems and compulsive behaviors.
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids
This publication by the Office of the Surgeon General provides an overview of the opioid epidemic in the United States and offers resources for individuals, families, and communities affected by opioid use disorder.
Heroin, Fentanyl, & Other Opioids: A Comprehensive Resource for Families with a Teen or Young Adult Struggling with Opioid Use
Fueled by drugs like heroin, fentanyl and the misuse of prescription pain pills, the opioid epidemic in our country has impacted countless families. To help address this, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids created a new eBook — Heroin, Fentanyl & Other Opioids: A Comprehensive Resource for Families with a Teen or Young Adult Struggling with Opioid Use. Parents and families need to be prepared with the knowledge and skills to identify opioids, spot early use and take action effectively.
Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention
This guide offers parents the information they need to raise children who understand the risks of substance use. This guide includes an overview of substance use among children, youth, and young adults; descriptions of substances young people may use; a look at risk factors that may make children, youth, and young adults try alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs—and protective factors that help offset those risks; age-specific suggestions for how to talk to young people about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; and tips on what parents can do if they suspect their child is using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. The guide, “Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent’s Guide to Prevention,” was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools.
In My Own Words
A compilation of essays by individuals supported by Medication-Assisted Treatment in long-term recovery.
Posters & Infographics
Opioid Trifold Brochures
Stimulant Trifold Brochures
Prevent Addiction Fact Sheet
Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Fact Sheet
What is Fentanyl? Infographic
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Infographic
Webinars & Online Learning
The National Family Support Technical Assistance Center (NFSTAC) is committed to providing training and technical assistance using a lifespan approach that focuses on mental health and/or substance use challenges. Our approach is anchored by the underlying principles that families play a vital role in supporting their loved ones and are the experts regarding making a plan to support their family.
In this video, scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse answer common questions about drug use and addiction. The episode What Is Addiction? introduces viewers to the brain’s reward pathway, brain development and how addiction science continues to advance treatment and prevention of substance use disorder.
This short animation from SAMHSA depicts how Naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversal medication, works in the body.
Test your knowledge on what causes drug overdoses and how to save a life using naloxone.
Current News & Research
DEA Reports Widespread Threat of Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the American public of a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl mixed with xylazine. Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a powerful sedative that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for veterinary use.
The Opioid Epidemic’s Toll on Children
This article from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health discusses the opioid epidemic’s toll on children.