Estimating the Economic Value of Community-Based Recovery

Funders, policymakers, and partners keep asking a fair question: what is community-based recovery support actually worth? Not only to the people in recovery, but to their families, their employers, and the communities they live in.

To help answer it, The Phoenix commissioned an analysis of the economic value created when people sustain recovery through community.

The headline

The analysis estimates roughly $195 million in annual economic value generated by Phoenix members in recovery from substance use disorder — before counting the reach of our programs in correctional settings and through partner organizations.

What the report covers

The full report walks through the methodology, the assumptions behind the estimate, and the data sources it draws on, with a technical appendix for readers who want the detail. Read the full report.

What comes next

An estimate is a starting point, not a finish line. Our flagship longitudinal study, Belonging and Becoming, will let us follow outcomes over time and strengthen how we measure the value of community-based support — including for populations the field has historically overlooked.