Feature Issue on Addiction and IDD

For Treatment Providers

Addressing Substance Use in Patients with Intellectual Disability: 5 Steps

This guide , written by Jessica Rivers Allen of the Medical University of South Carolina and targeted toward service providers and support workers, outlines five steps to assessing and treating substance use disorders in people with IDD.

Core Resource on Alcohol: Screen and Assess

This guide , produced by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is designed for healthcare workers and other service providers who screen for alcohol abuse to ensure effective screening processes. It also contains a checklist for guidance during screening.

Screening Tools and Prevention for Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides several charts and guides for healthcare workers and other service providers on appropriate screening for drug abuse and prevention measures in early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Substance Use and Intellectual Disabilities

This article , put together by Renee Deveney of The Recovery Village, is a guide for healthcare providers and support teams on how addiction behaviors may present differently in people with IDD, and it details options for more effective treatment.

Mental and Substance Use Disorder Treatment for People with Physical and Cognitive Disabilities

This guide , created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is written for providers and program administrators, and contains numerous resources on how to make substance abuse treatment more accessible for people with disabilities. It is downloadable as a PDF.

Improving Communication with Patients Who Have Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This guide , written for healthcare and treatment providers by the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, outlines communication best practices when interacting with people with IDD in a medical setting. These principles can also be applied by clinicians and treatment providers for mental health and substance use conditions.

Finding Help

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7 phone line that connects those seeking care with local treatment centers and community supports. Services are available in English and Spanish, and in addition to the phone line, SAMHSA provides an online treatment locator and a text line.

Phone: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Online treatment locator: https://bit.ly/4e3W2AJ

Text: Text your zip code to 435748 (HELP4U)

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Lifeline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for those in mental health crisis or emergency distress. This phone line, alongside its official website, connects users with local or national prevention and crisis resources, including resources for substance use. Available in English and Spanish, and options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are also available on the website.

To use: Dial 988 on any phone

Fast Tracker MN

This resource is a search tool designed to easily connect Minnesotans with a directory of mental health and substance use services and their availability. Anyone from individuals and their families to healthcare professionals can use this tool.

Guides

What is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families

This brochure , created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is designed for family members and supporters of people living with substance use disorders. It answers questions about substance use disorders, their symptoms, treatment, and recovery, and it is downloadable as a PDF.

Accommodating the Symptoms of TBI

This resource , while focused on TBI, offers excellent suggestions for anyone with cognitive challenges in the context of substance use, risky use, addiction, and treatment. It was produced by the Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Putting Tools to Work

IDD/SUD Roundtable Toolkit

Produced by the University of Missouri - Kansas City, this toolkit , created by professionals who work with people with IDD and people with substance use disorders, provides a number of resources and tools for serving individuals at this intersection.

12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

This guide , provided by Alta California Regional Center, details the 12 steps for addiction recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous, and also provides a plain language version of each step for easier understanding.

Sobriety Calculator

This tool by The Recovery Village allows individuals recovering from addiction to easily calculate the length of their sobriety by inputting the beginning date of their sobriety journey. It also contains ideas for how to celebrate and honor sobriety.

Featured Programs

Vinland Center Webinars

The Vinland Center has archived video recordings and slides from a series of webinars about various subjects related to substance use and IDD. Register with an email address to view recordings and download slides through their site.

Milieu Center

The Milieu Center , located in Sacramento, California, provides a day treatment program for adults with IDD and mental illness that involves therapeutic sessions oriented around self-advocacy, vocational and community integration goals, life skills, and recreation. This program meets 9 a.m. - 2:30p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

Monarch: Understanding Addiction and Developmental Disabilities

This free curriculum is for anyone supporting someone who may be living with IDD and substance use disorder. Healthcare professionals, caregivers, and families will find 14 educational modules with short videos and review sheets, a facilitator’s guide, and screening questions. Available in English and Spanish.