A One-Stop Shop for Reliable Treatment Information

A One-Stop Shop for Reliable Treatment Information

We at Sigmund Software take pride in celebrating the work of organizations committed to improving the quality of substance use treatment services. An important starting point in that effort involves educating individuals and families during what can be a challenging recovery journey. We’re pleased to call attention to the contributions of Start Your Recovery, a one-stop information resource.

Start Your Recovery co-founder Brooks Lape explains that the organization grew out of an observation that consumers lacked reputable resources when searching for substance use-related information online. At the time, Lape was working at strategic communications company Reingold, which had experience in conducting awareness campaigns with government agencies around issues in behavioral health care. Lape asked Reingold’s partners if they could launch a pro bono campaign to create reliable educational resources for people seeking substance use treatment and recovery information.

“We built a site by talking to the smartest people,” Lape said. Reingold still works with these content experts to assemble and validate web content for startyourrecovery.org, but Reingold now serves as a partner organization to the independent Start Your Recovery.

The list of Start Your Recovery’s partners demonstrates the organization’s commitment to promoting high-quality service while drawing from a diversity of perspectives. Partner organizations include Faces & Voices of Recovery, the National Eating Disorders Association, The Jed Foundation, the American Association of Suicidology, and SMART Recovery.

The diversity of content speaks to Start Your Recovery’s effort to highlight multiple pathways to recovery, Lape said, from facility-based treatment to counseling to peer support. Harm reduction also has become an important focus.

The organization’s description of its work on its website states in part, “We know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges faced by those who misuse alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, or other substances, and we aim to break through the clutter to help people at any stage of recovery.

“Our goal is to offer people who are dealing with substance use issues a single source of reputable, objective information about signs, symptoms, conditions, treatment options and resources —presented in a user-friendly format and in language that’s easy to understand.”

As with much of the information sought by individuals and families in need of services, Google search still serves as the main way in which people first learn about Start Your Recovery. Lape said that in general, the industry still has a long way to go in improving the quality of the information found online. “I’m still not happy with the resources that are out there,” he said. “We hope that we’re setting the bar,” with an emphasis on promoting greater transparency and public trust.

Lape added, “SAMHSA’s data is the backbone of what we provide. Our work is additive of the government’s effort.”

Navigating personal and family crisis is difficult enough. We all need to do our part to make the process of identifying and acting on information a lot easier. Visit startyourrecovery.org to learn more about this important initiative that is spreading the word that “Help is available, and treatment works.”