NAMA Recovery (National Alliance
for Medication Assisted Recovery)
NAMA Recovery (https://namarecovery.org) is the only national organization founded and governed by a majority of individuals whose recovery was facilitated by MOUD. It is also comprised of their loved ones, health providers and others who are supporters of quality, comprehensive treatment that includes MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder). NAMA Recovery has thousands of members worldwide, with many U.S. chapters. NAMA Recovery advocates for and empowers individuals who use medication for opioid use disorder.
The Legal Action Center (LAC)
www.lac.org: “Action is our middle name”
LAC is the leader in advocacy to protect and enhance the legal rights of individuals with substance use disorders including access to medications for opioid use disorder.
LAC aprotects and enhances the legal rights of individuals with arrest and conviction records, HIV, and AIDS against discriminatory policies and practices. They work to ensure that health care is accessible and affordable, to end criminalization of substance use disorders and mental illness, and to eliminate unjust barriers to employment, housing, legal benefits, and other life essentials for individuals in reentry and recovery.
LAC summarized a long (partial) list of of legal rulings involving denied access to MOUD. They also advocate on the state level (see the SSN home page).
They have many useful online guides on MOUD access, such as this document on MOUD access in recovery residences.
This document on Legal Advocacy to Protect Health Care Access for People who Use(d) Drugs
Their MAT/MOUD Advocacy Toolkit includes guidance on advocating for your rights . . .
- If ordered off of MAT
- If charged for driving on MAT
- on the legality of Denying MAT in the Criminal Justice System
Strategies for access to MAT in Drug Courts, and in the Workplace.
Resources if you face discrimination . . . .
- in the Criminal Legal System . . .
- in Health Care Settings . . .
- in the Child Welfare System . . .
and resources for Treatment Providers and Attorneys
I-STARR (Infrastructure for Studying Treatment & Addiction Recovery Residences)
https://istarr.arg.org/
I-STARR has many practical trainings for recovery residence operators and other about medications for opioid use disorder in recovery residences, and many related topics at https://istarr.arg.org/register
See more on our ‘Trainings’ and ‘Recovery pages’ There are links to examples on our ‘Trainings’ page.
I-STARR is supported by a grant from NIDA, is part of the NIH HEAL Initiative and the Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science (the COARS Network).
BROKEN NO MORE
(https://broken-no-more.org)
Provides support and guidance to those who have lost a loved one due to substance use, and to advance the effective treatment for addiction/substance use disorder including increased access to medications for opioid use disorder.
Broken No More supports the implementation of drug policies based on public health, Harm Reduction, and science, while opposing the punitive policies of the failed war on drugs.
(Note that Broken No More testified in favor of Maryland’s successful 2026 bill to prohibit certified recovery residences from limiting access to MOUD)
CA BRIDGE
The organization bridges emergency care with community health to create an integrated system. It promotes low barrier, immediate MOUD access, and has published research to validate this approach. CA BRIDGE uses navigators for ongoing care and connection to SUD and mental health resources in the community. They work primarily in California but can arrange direct consultations with clinical teams nationwide through their National Expansion Project.
See our ‘Trainings’ page for their many online trainings and resources.
NIH HEAL Initiative (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term)
and the HEALing Communities Study (HCS)
www.nih.gov/heal and https://hcs.rti.org
Funded by NIH and SAMHSA, this multi-state research initiative deploys community-based communication campaigns involving data-driven public messaging to reduce public and institutional stigma against MOUD and to expand community demand for evidence-based practices.
See their MOUD Stigma Toolkit
their online MOUD Information Sheet https://hcs.rti.org/src/docs/OH_MOUD_Info_Sheet.pdf
and their page: ‘Myths vs Facts – Methadone’
Their publications, including on MOUD access and related topics, etc. are at https://hcs.rti.org/publications.html
THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE (DPA)
(https://drugpolicy.org)
One of DPA’s publication is ‘Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD): Methadone and Buprenorphine’ September 2025
DPA’s position on MOUD: “Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), . . . have proven to be the most effective forms of treatment for opioid use disorder for drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioids like oxycodone. MOUD alone is treatment, and it should not be required to be used alongside other treatment options.”
Advocacy issues include increasing access to addiction services, as well as preventing overdose deaths, harm reduction, and prioritizing health over criminal penalties.
ALL RISE
(formerly, the National Association of
Drug Court Professionals)
(https://allrise.org)
All Rise publishes the Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards (latest Edition: January 2026).
Excerpt:
“Provision of MAT has been demonstrated to significantly increase treatment retention and reduce non-prescribed opioid use, opioid overdose and mortality rates, and transmission of HIV and hepatitis C infections among persons with opioid use disorders in the criminal justice system.” (Moore et al., 2019; SAMHSA, 2019b)
“Overriding patient preference and medical judgment in access to MAT or a particular medication undermines treatment compliance and success rates and can lead to serious adverse medication interactions, increased overdose rates, and even death .” (NASEM, 2019; Rich et al., 2015; SAMHSA, 2019b).
“For these reasons, treatment courts applying for federal funding through the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and BJA discretionary grant programs must attest that they will not deny entry to their program for persons with opioid use disorders who are receiving or seeking to receive MAT or a particular medication and will not require participants to reduce or discontinue the medication as a condition … of graduation. Recent court cases have granted preliminary injunctions against blanket denials of MAT in jails or prisons…”
Many resources on these standards are available on their website, as well as their catalogue of online trainings for both judicial staff and for treatment providers (also listed on our page on Trainings).
THE NATIONAL SHERIFFS' ASSOCIATION (NSA)
The NSA is working to normalize MOUD access in carceral settings and support the delivery of its Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Sheriff-to-Sheriff Peer Mentoring Program. They view MAT as an evidence-based practice to address this substance use disorder in jail settings.
The NSA plans to reduce recidivism by preventing relapse through substance use disorder treatment including the implementation of MOUD.
Their webinar, ‘Evolution of MOUD in Jails,’ describes jail programs for providing MOUD, jails’ challenges and concerns. They also review DOJ expectations of compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act and the current state of litigation around MOUD.
RECOVERY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (RRI)
(www.recoveryanswers.org)
RRI is an independent non-profit affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, with some projects funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Since 2012, RRI has engaged in education, research, and outreach, and hosts ‘The William White Recovery Research Bibliography,’ a searchable, publicly available library.
It also has hundreds of searchable summaries of the latest evidence in addiction treatment and recovery at www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-research-summaries.
RRI’s Indicators of Quality Addiction Treatment includes as a quality indicator, “access to FDA approved medications for addiction (e.g., buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone, naltrexone).”
RRI’s ‘Addictionary’ addresses stigma by promoting accurate terminology.
RRI’s Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science (CoARS) supports collaborative recovery research, including the study of recovery support services for persons treated with medications for opioid use disorder. CoARS hosts an annual meeting for researchers on addiction recovery science.
SOME CoARS PROGRAMS:
IRIS – Innovations in Recovery Through Infrastructure Support
Develops and disseminates effective opioid recovery support strategies through strong community-academic partnerships, using trainings, funded pilot projects, research fellowship, etc.
STARS – Studies to Advance Recovery Support
Generates trainings, tools, and platforms for peer recovery support services for individuals treated with medications for opioid use disorder.
CHEARR – Collaborative Hub for Emerging Adult Recovery Research
Partners with communities to advance research on recovery support services for young adults, focusing on clinical continuing care models for young adults who take or have taken medications for opioid use disorder.
Advancing the Science on Recovery Community Centers
Enhances research on recovery community centers with a focus on their utility for persons who were or are using medications for opioid use disorder.
THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA’s 2021 TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder notes that “Patients who discontinue OUD medication generally return to illicit opioid use. . .
“The best results occur when a patient receives medication for as long as it provides a beneft (“maintenance treatment. . . .”Longitudinal studies show that most patients who try to stop methadone treatment relapse during or after completing the taper. “Clinicians should offer psychosocial services, but treatment with medications should not be denied if a patient declines to participate in behavioral therapy.”
SAMHSA’s Final Rule: (42 CFR Part 8) for the regulation of opioid treatment programs “requires that psychosocial services be available, but expressly prohibits conditioning MOUD on a patient’s acceptance or completion of these services…. Clinicians should offer psychosocial services, but treatment with medications should not be denied if a patient declines to participate in behavioral therapy.”
SAMHSA’s 2023 Best practices for recovery housing recommends that “recovery housing operators not have any barriers or restrictions for residents to use prescribed medications for behavioral or physical health conditions …This includes the use of the FDA-approved medications for alcohol use and/or opioid use disorders—including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone.” The document is no longer available on the SAMHSA website, but can be found Here.
SAMHSA’s 2019 Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings made the strong case for, and encouraged the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in criminal justice settings. “…despite the overwhelming evidence of effectiveness [of MAT], few jails or prisons offer this treatment.” The document is no longer available on the SAMHSA website, but can be found Here
SAMHSA describes recovery as occurring across “multiple pathways” in the SAMHSA Working definition of recovery: 10 guiding principles. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA)
NIDA’s section on MOUD has brief online resources on methadone, buprenorphine and related topics.
NIDA content can be searched by keyword or category (e.g., ‘buprenorphine’)
NIDA’s director, Nora Volkow MD, has forcefully spoken and written about the primary role of MOUD for OUD, and that psychosocial treatment should not be a condition of treatment with MOUD, as described in our ‘Research-Effectiveness’ page. She wrote that “Methadone or buprenorphine treatment without counseling is vastly superior to no treatment.” (Volkow, ND & Blanco, The Changing Opioid Crisis: development, challenges and opportunities. Molecular Psychiatry. 2021 January; 26(1): 218)
She also wrote that “The efficacy of MOUD has been supported in clinical trial after clinical trial, and is considered the standard of care in treatment of OUD, whether or not it is accompanied by some form of behavioral therapy.” (Five Areas Where “More Research” Isn’t Needed to Curb the Overdose Crisis. August 31, 2022
NATIONAL CENTER ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND CHILD WELFARE (NCSACW)
https://ncsacw.acf.gov
Addresses “the devastating structural stigma that parents on MOUD face within child welfare systems and family courts. Through their Disrupting Stigma initiatives, they provide cross-system training for social workers, judges, and medical professionals to ensure that a parent’s compliant use of prescribed MOUD is recognized as a proactive step in medical recovery, rather than being weaponized as a reason for child removal.
ADDICTION POLICY FORUM (APF)
APF (www.addictionpolicy.org) is dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem. APF priorities include ending the stigma around addiction and related activities. They provide specialized trainings, workshops and presentations around stigma affecting those with substance use disorders, including stigma affecting medications to treat addictions.
Hundreds of individuals have been certified to deliver APF programs.
Their resource, ‘13 Things to Look for in Quality Treatment’ includes, among other items, “Does the treatment program provide medications for patients with opioid or alcohol use disorder?”
APF also conducts and publishes research on stigma, most recently:
Earnshaw, VA, et al. Do US Adults View Drug and Alcohol Addiction as a Health Condition? Journal of Addiction Medicine, March 26, 2026.
And APF’s summary of the results.
FACES AND VOICES OF RECOVERY (FAVOR)
(https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org)
See our page ‘Quality in Recovery’ for more on FAVOR’s support of access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including their Standards for Recovery Community Organizations which include “The organization allows for, and may provide opportunities for all pathways of recovery and does not exclude anyone based on their pathway.”
AMERSA
(Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction)
(https://amersa.org)
Their podcast is ‘AMERSA Talks,’ and their journal is the ‘Substance Use & Addiction Journal.’ AMERSA’s upcoming annual conference: November 12-14, 2026, Washington, D.C.
Advocacy priorities include increasing methadone access, along with equitable access to care and harm reduction. (https://amersa.org/advocacy)
AMERSA’s Guide for Peer Recovery Specialists is listed in on our Trainings page, along with some of their other trainings.
NATIONAL COALITION TO
LIBERATE METHADONE (NCLM)
(www.liberatemethadone.org)
NCLM envisions a future without arbitrary and punitive rules, where methadone, and all forms of MOUD, are accessible to all, in the manner that is right for them.
Leadership includes people with living or lived experience on methadone, advocates, clinicians and scholars and others from academic institutions including New York University and it’s School of Global Public Health, the University of Pittsburg Dept. of Medicine, Boston University Dept. of Medicine, University of California – Davis, and others.
NCLM holds bi-weekly General Zoom Meetings every other Wednesday, open to anyone interested in learning more or getting involved.
Their 2023 national conference was supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts, and Vital Strategies. A video of the conference can be viewed on the NCLM website. The upcoming conference is planned for the summer of 2027 in Pittsburgh, PA.
This slide deck describes NCLM activities: ‘Advocating for Persons with Lived & Living Experience: Community Engagement and Empowerment,’ (Presented at the 2024 AMERSA annual conference).
THE R STREET INSTITUTE
(www.rstreet.org)
Has a fully searchable library with a range of high quality behavioral health resources: explainers, policy studies, news, analysis, research etc. written by their many scholars.
An Example:
Newsletter: ‘Safer Solutions: Why is it easier to get illegal drugs than medicine to treat addiction?’ June 24, 2026
(Behavioral health, including addiction medication access, is one of several subject areas covered).
The Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR)
(www.farronline.org/mat )
This NARR affiliate’s support of MOUD goes beyond that of NARR (the National Association of Recovery Residences).
Their website’s section on Medication-Assisted Treatment in Recovery Housing notes that, “FARR-certified residences should not implement policies that discriminate against individuals using MAT in accordance with Fl Stat 397.487. Banning medications, taper requirements, and dosage limitations as a condition of residency is not in line with best practices.”
This page also links to a 6-minute video on ‘Understanding the Role of Medication Assisted Recovery in Recovery Residences’ in which Dr. Courtney Phillips discusses the critical role of Medication-Assisted Treatment in recovery services, and that “MAT … is a life-saving tool that helps stabilize individuals, making them more receptive to therapy, social services, and long-term recovery support.”
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
“Psychosocial treatment should not be a mandatory component of standard treatment for opioid use disorder and should not prevent access to opioid agonist therapy”
The WHO’s 2009 Guidelines for the Psychosocially Assisted Pharmacological Treatment of Opioid Dependence
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA)
AMA Policy D-95.968 (Last Modified: 2023)
Support the Elimination of Barriers to Evidence-Based Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
Our American Medical Association will
(a) advocate for legislation that eliminates barriers to, increases funding for, and requires access to all appropriate FDA-approved medications or therapies used by licensed drug treatment clinics or facilities, and
(b) develop a public awareness campaign to increase awareness that medical treatment of substance use disorder with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and other evidence-based options as first-line treatments for this chronic medical disease.
The AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force represents over 25 medical societies, focuses on removing structural stigma across health systems, as well as improving access to MOUD and removing administrative barriers, and promoting non-stigmatizing language.
Recommendation 2: “Remove barriers to evidence-based treatment for SUDs . . . including improved enforcement of laws and policies to ensure access to medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) … Particular emphasis must be placed on ensuring protections for justice-involved individuals and for youth, peripartum, pregnant, postpartum and parenting individuals. This includes working to keep families together safely and eliminating health inequities that disproportionately harm marginalized and minoritized communities.”
Recommendation 4: “Broaden public health and harm reduction strategies to save lives from overdose, limit the spread of infectious disease, eliminate stigma and reduce harms for people who use drugs and other substances. le needle and syringe services programs, and integrating the perspectives of the recovery community and people who use drugs …”
Member organizations in the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force
American Medical Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Academy of Pain Medicine
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American College of Physicians
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
American Society of Anesthesiologists
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Arkansas Medical Society
California Medical Association
Colorado Medical Society
Maine Medical Association
Massachusetts Medical Society
Medical Society of the State of New York
New Mexico Medical Society
Ohio State Medical Association
Oregon Medical Association
Utah Medical Association
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE (NAM)
An independent, nonprofit that works to advance science, inform policy, and catalyze action to achieve optimal health for all. Members are scholars, business leaders and innovators. One of their core areas of focus is Combatting Substance Use and the Opioid Crisis.
Their publications are searchable by key word or category, e.g., ‘mental health and substance use.’
Include: Stigma of Addiction Summit: Lessons Learned and Priorities for Action
Publications are searchable by key word or category, e.g., ‘mental health and substance use.’
Some relevant publications:
Stigma of Addiction Summit: Lessons Learned and Priorities for Action
Combatting the Stigma of Addiction – The Need for a Comprehensive Health System Approach
Dismantling Buprenorphine Policy Can Provide More Comprehensive Addiction Treatment (About buprenorphine access)
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ADDICTION MEDICINE
The ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: 2020 Focused Update :
“Patients’ psychosocial needs should be assessed, and patients should be offered or referred to psychosocial treatment based on their individual needs. However, there may be instances when pharmacotherapy alone results in positive outcomes. A patient’s decision to decline psychosocial treatment or the absence of available psychosocial treatment should not preclude or delay pharmacological treatment of opioid use disorder, with appropriate medication management. Motivational interviewing or enhancement can be used to encourage patients to engage in psychosocial treatment services appropriate for addressing their individual needs.”
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Division of Addiction Research and Treatment
Educational initiatives include a training program to improve the knowledge and skills of medical residents to expand access to medications for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), known as AIROH (Accelerating Interdisciplinary Resident Education in Opioid Use Disorder and Harm Reduction)
The U of M Telehealth Buprenorphine Model is an innovative approach to improving buprenorphine access which has been validated in the peer-reviewed literature as yielding the same results as buprenorphine prescribed in person
JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE
Johns Hopkins pioneered systematic internal anti-stigma frameworks that can serve as a blueprint for hospitals nationwide.
These initiatives require clinical and administrative staff to take the Words Matter Pledge, actively replacing outdated, stigmatizing terminology with medically accurate, person-first language.
‘What we say and do matters to patients with substance use disorder’ and ‘Medications to treat opioid use disorder save lives’
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU)
www.aclu.org
View their report, OVER-JAILED AND UN-TREATED: ‘How the Failure to Provide Treatment for Substance Use in Prisons and Jails Fuels the Overdose Epidemic – Over-Jailed and Un-Treated’
Accompanied by a press release.
In March 2026 the ACLU reported on their ongoing suit against the state of W. Virginia over the moratorium on opioid treatment programs.
PCSS-MOUD (PROVIDERS CLINICAL SUPPORT SYSTEM)
https://pcssnow.org/ PCSS-MOUD is their section focusing on medications for opioid use disorder
(PCSS is unded by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry)
See our Trainings page for extensive courses on MOUD stigma and access, in multiple format,
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Civil Right Division
www.justice.gov/crt.
Until recently, the Civil Rights Division had been defending people with substance use disorders who may have been illegally discriminated against under the Americans with Disability Act:
See their publication The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Opioid Crisis: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery
(The Civil Rights Division has lost most of their attorneys in 2025 and may not be currently active in ADA cases)
BRANDEIS OPIOID RESOURCE CONNECTOR (BORC)
https://opioid-resource-connector.org/
(part of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative with resources of its own).
BORC’S resources include issue briefs, toolkits, and a searchable database of over 800 resources for community-specific needs and to inform program and policy selection, including many Anti-Stigma Resources:
An example under ‘Program Models’ –
Medication First: A state initiative in Missouri to prioritize expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder. The Missouri Department of Mental Health has disseminated the Medication First treatment approach in the state.
THE KENNEDY FORUM (TKF) and
STOP STIGMA TOGETHER
https://stopstigmatogether.org/
TKF policy recommendations included amending 34 U.S.C. § 10422 so grant awards are contingent upon the use of medication assisted treatment (MAT), and encouraged DEA and HHS, in their proposed rule, to allow Induction of Buprenorphine via Telemedicine, the continuation of telehealth flexibilities.
The Kennedy Forum and Stop Stigma Together collaborate on policy work and produced a joint 24 pg. 2024 policy brief: “Alignment for Progress: A Commitment to Stop Stigma” which addresses mental health and substance use disorder stigma, but does not emphasize MOUD stigma.
TKF is guided by the NASEM’s 2016 report, Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change.
Doctors for Drug Policy Reform
www.d4dpr.org
D4DPR’s Position Paper on “Expanding Access to Methadone and Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder” (August 2025) advocates for expanded access to methadone and down-scheduling buprenorphine from DEA schedule III to schedule V, by Julio Nunes MD. 10 pgs.
Provides trainings on media advocacy and addresses stigma and punitive approaches directed at people who use drugs, including an
Advocacy Toolkit for Transitioning from a Criminal Justice Model to a Health-focused Approach for Drug Use: A Guide for the Medical Professional
Loving Mind Institute
(https://lovingmindinstitute.org)
“Advancing Science, Technology, & Medicine to Help Persons Living with Mental Illness & Addiction”
We discovered several excellent resources here, including an eye-opening video interview with one of the leading authorities on MOUD Stigma, Erin F. Madden, PHD, MPH, available in our ‘Quality in Recovery’ page.
On this site we also discovered the video by John Oliver (Last Week Tonight) on “REHAB” which is on our ‘Quality in Residential Treatment’ page. (“Rehab is a $35 billion industry with no federal standards, and the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care” in these facilities).
Shatterproof
(www.shatterproof.org)
Shatterproof addresses addiction stigma with advocacy and education. They have developed the Addiction Stigma Index described in a 2024 report: https://www.shatterproof.org/SASI
Shatterproof validated the first standardized set of healthcare quality measures for addiction treatment facilities through ‘Atlas.’ Their searchable treatment locator at https://treatmentatlas.org is used in several states. Results are facilities that offer MOUD when search indicates OUD and that the patient would be agreeable to using MOUD.
DIRECT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS
that welcome the use of medication
for substance use disorder
• MARA (Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous)
www.mara-international.org
• SMART recovery www.smartrecovery.org
• LifeRing Secular Recovery www.lifering.org
• SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) www.sossobriety.org
• Burn the Stigma (alternatives to 12-Step Programs) https://bit.ly/4v5WSnS