Beyond Recovery Month: What the recent passing of the SUPPORT Act Reauthorization Means for Communities

As September draws to a close, we wrap up another National Recovery Month—a time when individuals, families, and communities lift up the voices of recovery and recommit to reducing stigma. Personally, this year has been particularly meaningful as I mark 35 years as a person in recovery. Professionally, the closing weeks of September also brought significant federal action: the Senate's passage of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483).

This legislation renews and expands funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts across the country. Key provisions include investments in prenatal and postnatal health, overdose prevention, workforce development, peer recovery supports, and comprehensive opioid recovery centers. For those of us working in the behavioral health arena, this reauthorization is more than a policy win—it’s a signal that there is continued support for a more integrated, sustainable response to the prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders (SUD). This includes support for pregnant and postpartum women with SUD, support for first-responder training, loan repayment programs for emerging professionals in the workforce, youth-prevention efforts, recovery housing, and an extension of telehealth prescribing flexibilities for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.

From my own experience navigating managed care, building payor partnerships, and shaping enterprise SUD strategies, I see the SUPPORT Act Reauthorization as a significant opportunity. It creates space for behavioral health organizations to innovate, align with new payment models, and design care systems that extend beyond the walls of clinics. Just as importantly, it acknowledges that recovery is not a single intervention—it’s about the galvanization of our workforce, an enhancement of our service delivery system, and an opportunity to impact the health and wellbeing of our communities.

As we turn the page on Recovery Month, I’m reminded that our work does not end on September 30th. Every day is an invitation to invest in prevention, to expand access to treatment, and to build systems that honor the lived experience of recovery. The SUPPORT Act Reauthorization provides financial support, but it’s up to us—providers, payors, policymakers, and communities—to make the most of these dollars.

At NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory, I am working with you to navigate complex social systems so that all communities may thrive. Recovery is possible! The path is clearer than ever! Now is the time to walk together!