The mission of the Pennsylvania Statewide Tobacco-Free Recovery Initiative is to facilitate partnerships among academia, state agencies, county public health departments, treatment providers and recovery advocates to advance recovery-oriented evidence-based tobacco use disorder interventions in behavioral health services. PA STFRI provides a variety of strategic support to community providers and recovery peer networks including:

Media Campaigns

Education

Training

Technical Assistance

Vision

We envision a behavioral health system that fully recognizes that addressing tobacco serves to maximize treatment outcomes, reduce social stigma, mitigate health disparities, and allows all Pennsylvanians to thrive in their recovery.

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About The PA STFRI

The PA STFRI is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About The PA STFRI

The PA STFRI is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meet the Team
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Guiding Principles

Treating tobacco concurrently with other behavioral disorders is safe and maximizes treatment outcomes.

Due to a bidirectional relationship between tobacco craving and withdrawal and the use of opioids and other substances, tobacco interventions integrated into SUD treatment are associated with sustained drug and alcohol recovery. Tobacco abstinence is correlated to decreased anxiety, depression, and improvements in overall mood and quality of life.

Person-centered tobacco use disorder interventions align with harm reduction strategies & do not interfere with treatment access.

Proposed clinical performance standards reflect American Society of Addiction Medicine guidelines and comprise pathways of care that account for individual readiness and self-determination.

Addressing tobacco in behavioral health demonstrates a commitment to health justice.

Tobacco use among Pennsylvanians with mental and substance use disorders is 3X higher than the general population. They have disproportional tobacco-related health disparities and inadequate access to appropriate tobacco treatment services. A systems tobacco intervention approach tailored to vulnerable populations shows support for human rights and helps to mitigate societal stigma.

Supportive Organizations

The PA STFRI is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
National Center of Excellence logo
National Behavioral Health Network logo
Merakey logo
PHMC logo
NAMI logo
PSAM logo

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