Voices of Recovery: Combining Medication for Opioid Use Disorders With 12-Step Recovery Support

Treatment for opioid use disorders is often polarized, separating programs that use medications from those that do not. At the two ends are programs that provide medications, but don't expect abstinence from nonmedical substance use, and others that expect abstinence, but don't provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The disparagement of programs using different strategies undermines the entire field of addiction treatment.

Highlighting a personal recovery journey, this session will discuss ways that clinical providers and 12-step recovery program advocates can collaborate to support the communities they serve. This session encourages the use of MOUD in abstinence-based programs where it can improve program retention and long-term outcomes. The integration of recovery support, including 12-step fellowships, can improve long-term outcomes for patients receiving MOUD. Integrating the various paths to recovery, identifying the appropriate populations for different pathways, and collaborating in the best interest of public health will strengthen the field of addiction.

The lived experience of a person in recovery will present the challenges faced by individuals navigating both systems of MOUD treatment and 12-step recovery support, and will provide practical solutions to integrating these evidenced-based practices.