Vermont Substance Use Conference 2025

Recovery from substance use disorder requires more than treatment—it necessitates support, stable housing, and belonging. Vermont Foundation of Recovery operates a statewide network of recovery homes and transitional apartments, offering structured, community-based support. This presentation explores recovery housing as a vital link between treatment and independent living, using real stories and data to show how collaboration improves long-term recovery and builds healthier communities.

This session will explore harm reduction as an essential approach to addressing substance use disorders and promoting public health. Rooted in compassion, equity, and evidence-based practices, harm reduction goes beyond abstinence-only models to fully meet individuals where they are at, and collaboratively, with the participant, build from there.

Participants will engage with the history of this public health movement, learn practical strategies for implementing harm reduction services, and familiarize themselves with non-judgmental care approaches. This session will also highlight the importance of fostering connection between individuals, communities, and systems of care to reduce stigma and empower people who use drugs.

Through data, case studies, and success stories, this session will showcase how harm reduction saves lives, promotes healing, and contributes to the state’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) has a large volume of publicly-available data. However, finding and accessing the data can be challenging. In the first 30 minutes, we will provide an overview of VDH substance-use data, show where it lives on the website, and provide search tips. We will also share current data about Vermont substance use. We will use the second 30 minutes to focus on one of VDH’s major substance use data publications, the Social Autopsy Report, and how VDH and its partners have used this report to move data into action. While all conference attendees are welcome, our intended audiences are attendees who use or want to use substance use data and those who would like to know more about the Social Autopsy Report.

Qualitative and quantitative research indicate strong correlations between substance use, disordered eating, and eating disorders. And eating disorders are the second leading cause of death behind substance use disorders. In alignment with this year's theme, the presentation will provide an overview of the overlapping warning signs and risk factors and the need for increased education, identification, and coordination of trauma-informed treatment.

This session is an opportunity to learn about the Maternal Mortality Review Panel and how its data is used to inform programming. Utilizing Overdose Data to Action funding, the Vermont Department of Health’s Family and Child Health supports collaborative projects enhancing perinatal substance use care, coordination, and connection. The session includes a Turning Point Center perinatal referral system, a Lund therapeutic storytelling project, and an initiative to support organizations through tailored SU education.