Stigma Reduction

The Partners for Recovery (PFR) leadership has made the reduction of stigma a top priority. In support of this initiative, PFR and the CSAT Office of Consumer Affairs have sponsored the development of a Know Your Rights brochure (16pp, PDF, 183KB) to spread the word that Americans cannot be discriminated against for suffering from substance use disorders. A Spanish version of the Know Your Rights brochure is now available: ¿Está Recperándose de Problemes Con El Alcohol O Las Drogas? Conozca sus Derechos (18pp, PDF, 193KB).

Learn more about the brochure.

The Legal Action Center prepared the PowerPoint presentation Know Your Rights-Legal Rights of People with Alcohol and Drug Histories and Criminal Records (202pp, PDF, 1.2MB) and an accompanying brief User's Guide (3pp, PDF, 65KB) for the Partners for Recovery Initiative. The presentation is intended to be used as a training tool by alcohol and drug treatment professionals and provider associations, government oversight agencies, recovery support providers and organizations, attorneys with an interest in these topics, and other allies of people in recovery. The training is for people with or in recovery from alcohol or drug problems, people in treatment or recovery with criminal records, and anyone supporting the rights of people with current/past alcohol or drug problems or criminal records.

The training objectives are to educate individuals about their rights under federal and state laws and to provide information about how to exercise those rights when necessary. The training covers laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in: employment, housing, public accommodation, e.g., health care, schools, etc., and government benefits and services.

The presentation is divided into six parts to allow flexibility in presenting the information. They are as follows:

• Introduction: What is Discrimination?
• Which Laws Prohibit Discrimination against People with Alcohol/Drug Histories?
• What Rights Do These Laws Give People with Current or Past Alcohol/Drug Problems?
• Responding to Violations of Your Rights under Under Anti-Discrimination Laws
• Medication Assisted Treatment: Special Issues
• Legal Rights of People with Criminal Records

Parts 1-4 provide a cohesive overview of the rights of people with alcohol/drug histories and should be presented together. Also, it is recommended that Part 1-5 be shown together and that Part 6 be used with Parts 1-4 or Parts 1-5, or used separately. You may download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and/or request an electronic copy.

Read about other Resources on Stigma Reduction.