Substance Use First Aid (SUFA) helps adults talk to other adults about substance use before it becomes a serious issue.
Join our waitlist to get early access to sessions launching this year.
How it Works
Early Support, Real Impact
SUFA helps people to recognize the early signs of unhealthy substance use before it escalates into serious consequences or addiction. With the right tools, you can start a healing conversation that changes the course of someone’s life, helping them stay connected to their health, family, and community.
Grounded in Lived Experience, Backed by Evidence
SUFA is created and delivered by individuals with personal or family experience of substance use, making the training authentic, relatable, and free of stigma. Participants gain practical, evidence-informed skills such as motivational interviewing, understanding the stages of change, active listening, and setting healthy boundaries. These tools empower people to talk about substance use with compassion and confidence.
Community-Powered Prevention
SUFA empowers workplaces, families, and communities to take early, collective action. By normalizing open conversations and encouraging supportive, positive engagement, SUFA helps build a culture of prevention rather than crisis response.
Who SUFA is For
SUFA is for anyone who wants to help!
You don’t have to be a clinician to make a difference. If you’ve ever worried about a loved one’s drinking, a coworker’s drug use, or a neighbor struggling in silence—but didn’t know what to say—SUFA is for you.
For employers
SUFA can reduce absenteeism, improve retention, and lower health care spending. It helps keep employees healthier while strengthening workplace culture and encouraging supportive conversations among teammates. For public health agencies, SUFA trains community members to communicate more effectively about substance use. Evidence shows that key influencers in the community can shift its tone, reducing violence and enhancing community cohesion. SUFA offers communities the most effective way to improve conversations around substance use.
For faith leaders and congregations
SUFA equips faith communities with practical tools to address substance use with compassion and understanding. By fostering a culture where people feel safe to seek help early, SUFA helps individuals stay connected to their place of worship, find healing, and experience genuine support on their recovery journey.
For educators and adult learning providers
SUFA empowers staff and volunteers with practical, actionable skills to address substance use concerns early, before they become crises. By complementing existing mental health initiatives, SUFA builds confidence and equips teams to respond with empathy and effectiveness, fostering a stronger, more supportive community.
For educators and adult learning providers
SUFA empowers staff and volunteers with practical, actionable skills to address substance use concerns early, before they become crises. By complementing existing mental health initiatives, SUFA builds confidence and equips teams to respond with empathy and effectiveness, fostering a stronger, more supportive community.
For rural communities
SUFA bridges gaps where formal services fall short by empowering neighbors, loved ones, and community leaders to build informal support networks that keep people connected and safe. It increases awareness of substance use and addiction’s impact on the brain, shifting judgment to curiosity. By fostering open, informed conversations, SUFA reduces stigma and supports healthier, more compassionate rural communities.
For neighborhood associations and community groups
SUFA strengthens community bonds and builds healthier, more connected neighborhoods. By training residents to recognize when someone is struggling and respond with empathy, SUFA helps shift local culture toward care and support, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.
