For People Ready to Change: Recovery & Self-Directed Help

Audience: Adults exploring change, in any stage (pre‑contemplation to maintenance), and their supporters.

Purpose: Provide low‑barrier access to practical “how‑to change” materials across recovery pathways, including harm reduction.

What you’ll find in this collection:

  • Step‑by‑step guides for quitting, cutting back, or using more safely
  • Daily readers/meditation books and workbooks
  • Pathway‑specific materials: AA/NA, SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma, Women for Sobriety, Moderation Management
  • Guidance on medications for opioid & alcohol use disorder (MOUD/MAT)
  • Tools for relapse prevention and supporting loved ones

Example starter titles & tools:

  • Core texts: Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book); Narcotics Anonymous; SMART Recovery Handbook; Recovery Dharma; Living Sober
  • Change & skills: The Beck Diet Solution‑style CBT workbooks adapted for SUD; The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction; Quit Like a Woman — Holly Whitaker; This Naked Mind — Annie Grace; The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober — Catherine Gray
  • Harm reduction: Overdose Prevention, Naloxone & Fentanyl Test Strips (pamphlets); zine‑style guides on safer use
  • MOUD: Plain‑language pamphlets on buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone
  • Family support: Beyond Addiction — Foote et al. (CRAFT approach); Addict in the Family — Beverly Conyers

Collection practices that remove barriers:

  • No‑questions‑asked copies: Stock free‑to‑keep versions of the most‑requested items (AA Big Book; Living Sober; SMART Handbook). Refill monthly.
  • Discreet pickup: Place a small rack near health brochures or in a quiet aisle. Offer a self‑checkout station or QR‑code links to eBooks.
  • Privacy: Post a one‑sentence privacy notice for eBooks/audiobooks; offer print alternatives.
  • Multilingual: Prioritize Spanish and any prevalent local languages.

Find help now:

  • SAMHSA National Helpline: 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357) — https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines
  • FindTreatment.gov: https://findtreatment.gov/
  • 988 (call/text): https://988lifeline.org/

Localize this section:

  • Add a box for local meetings (AA/NA/Al‑Anon/SMART/Recovery Dharma), your health department clinic, syringe service programs, and free naloxone pickup sites.