Community Based Organizations

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are most often nonprofit organizations–particularly service organizations–that work at the local level to provide services to communities and specific target audiences which improve a community’s health and well-being. These groups may have a formal structure or may be a united group of concerned citizens, and they may be comprised of professionals or volunteers.

In the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery space, CBOs can be collaborative coalitions, educational programs, faith-based organizations, grassroot movements, health centers, non-profits, Recovery Community Organizations (organizations led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery) recovery centers, and Single County Authorities, among others.

CBOs provide vital support to the community and work to connect people to resources and services for treatment and recovery. Some of the services offered through CBOs include awareness, education, and outreach programming; counseling, rehabilitation, treatment, and recovery services; support programs for families; harm reduction services; naloxone training and distribution; and more.

A study conducted by Penn State Harrisburg's Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research and Institute of State and Regional Affairs included a series of interviews with individuals representing or working at CBOs to gain a better understanding of these organizations and to explore their roles within the community.

Representatives of CBOs interviewed for the study described their strong collaborations and community connections as well as their passionate staff, positive reputations within their community, and innovative interventions as some of their greatest successes.  One director of a treatment and rehabilitation center highlighted these successes when they stated their mission:

“Helping people with substance use problems reconnect, isolate less, build relationships, purpose and meaning for life, because that's what's going to lead to recovery.”

Those representing CBOs also noted many specific program successes to address SUD including treatment courts (i.e., DUI, drug courts, etc.), certified recovery specialist programs, medication for opioid use disorder, and warm hand off programs. Many CBOs are small and have limited resources. In addition to these challenges, CBOs must navigate the stigma and bias against individuals with SUD or those or who are in recovery. One supervisor from a county drug and alcohol commission discussed their thoughts on the difficulties they face because of stigma:

“To change someone's perspective takes a lot. And what we're really asking is about changing the norm and people going from thinking that addiction is this moral failing ... not everyone that makes poor choices ends up with an addiction ... addiction is a disease that hijacks your brain and makes you do things that you would not do without this disease.”

Engagement and collaboration are vital to support these organizations and their mission within their communities. One recovery organization leader highlighted the importance of community engagement especially for recovery stating:

“Recovery happens in communities ... work to increase understanding of this and get people to think about how we address community needs ... is fundamental.”

Part of supporting and increasing access to CBOs is gathering information on active CBOs across the commonwealth and providing that information to the public. As part of the Life Unites Us campaign, we invited CBOs across the commonwealth to be included in our CBO map so that individuals can easily locate, connect, and collaborate with them. Information from the CBOs is collected by a survey and is populated into the interactive map.

As of May 2022, 130 CBOs have responded to our invitation and are included in the CBO map below. This map is continuously updated as more CBOs are connected to the project, with the end goal of moving toward a comprehensive map of CBOs located within the Commonwealth.

For more information on becoming a Life Unites Us partner and to be added to the CBO map please contact Ashley Narvaez at  anarvaez@shatterproof.org .  

Local treatment programs and services are administered through county drug and alcohol offices called Single County Authorities. These programs can help with treatment funding, assess the need for treatment or other services, and make referrals to match treatment and/or service needs.

You can find your local Single County Authority, utilize Pennsylvania's new Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards tool (ATLAS), and/or live chat with a Get Help Now Hotline representative by visiting  DDAP's Find Treatment page .  

The goal of Life Unites Us is to positively change attitudes and behaviors toward Pennsylvanians with opioid and SUDs. The PA Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Stigma Campaign website displays Data Indicators exploring how stigma toward opioid and substance use has changed over time. 

These data-driven narratives combine relevant scholarly literature with survey, interview, and secondary data collected by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg to contextualize stigma within the private and public health response to opioid use disorder.