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Meetings and Other Resources

All About Addiction: An addiction-related blog through Psychology Today written by UCLA addiction specialist Dr. Adi Jaffe.

California Smokers Helpline: A site with resources and support around quitting smoking, including free telephone counseling. Helpline counselors are fluent in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese, the six most common languages in California.

DanceSafe: A harm reduction website for recreational drug users. Includes comprehensive information about a variety of drugs, safety tips, and health information.

The Fix: News, interviews, opinion pieces, resources, and more on substances, addiction, and recovery.

InTheRooms: A membership-based social networking service for people in recovery that allows members to find and communicate with others whose lives have been touched by addiction and recovery. Resources include online support meetings and forums, online chat, meditations and affirmations, audio and video speaker recordings, and more.

National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse: A nonprofit organization that was established to address prescription drug misuse and abuse through community education, policy change, and legislative action.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): The branch of the National Institutes of Health that advances science on the causes and consequences of alcohol use and addiction and works to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): The branch of the National Institutes of Health that advances science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and works to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.

Start Your Recovery: A website featuring videos of people with substance use issues or loved ones with such issues telling their stories. Also offers information on signs, symptoms, and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction and a searchable database of local treatment resources.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): The agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance behavioral health. Provides resources (including crisis information) and information on substance use and other related concerns.

Meditation Resources

The Cove, the meeting and social space for Slugs for Health and Growth, UCSC's students in recovery (at Cowell College in the mobile building near the Provost House), sometimes hosts a weekly meditation meeting. CAPS often offers a weekly meditation group or mindfulness meditation workshops. (Call 831-459-2628 for more details.) Check with OPERS, students orgs, or your college for other on-campus meditation groups and meetings. Below are links to some great online recorded meditations created for people with substance abuse concerns, as well as information about off-campus meditation meetings.

  • Alcoholics Anonymous has several weekly meditation meetings for those with concerns about alcohol addiction and abuse (www.aasantacruz.org, 831-475-5782).
  • Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (Several links to audio meditations and mindfulness exercises designed to help in recovery from substance abuse, located at bottom of web page; QuickTime software needed to play them): http://www.mindfulrp.com/For-Clients.html
  • Insight Santa Cruz is a local meditation center (www.insightsantacruz.org/) that offers a variety of weekly meditation groups and other events, including specialized groups for people with substance use and other addiction issues (e.g., "Refuge Recovery" meetings). The founder of this group has experience leading meditation groups for people with concerns about substance abuse and addiction.
  • Urge Surfing Meditation is a mindfulness-based meditation attributed to the late psychologist Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of addictions treatment, to help people resist urges. The following blog post from the Portland Psychotherapy Clinic contains a description of the urge surfing meditation technique, with detailed steps to follow:  http://www.portlandpsychotherapyclinic.com/counseling/blog/riding-wave-using-mindfulness-help-cope-urges

On-Campus Support Meetings

There are several weekly on-campus support meetings. Click here for more information.

Off-Campus and Online Support

There are many weekly 12-Step and other support meetings in Santa Cruz and surrounding cities, as well as across the nation and globe. Some support groups offer online or phone meetings for those who can't or don't want to attend face-to-face meetings. See the resources listed below, as well as those on SHOP's support meeting page.

Santa Cruz Addiction Services

Recovery Wave is Santa Cruz County’s alcohol and drug abuse help pages. Provides resources for alcohol and drug treatment, interventions and other services in the area.

SHOP (UCSC Student Health Outreach & Promotion)

SHOP, part of UCSC Student Health Services, offers consultation and referrals, peer education and workshops for UCSC students with concerns about substance abuse and addiction. Also provides resources around general health, sexual health, sexual assault and stress management. Student Health Center, East Wing, 831-459-1417 (main number), 831-459-1417 (substance use health educator, Jorge Bru).