Recovery Month 2018: A Roundup of Resources from the ATTC Regional Centers

September 17, 2018

Maureen Fitzgerald
ATTC Network /NIATx

Recovery Month celebrates the message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. ATTC Regional Centers across the U.S. are helping to spread that message through presentations, publications, conferences, and by supporting local and regional Recovery Month activities. Most of the products developed by the Regional Centers are relevant and available to all, no matter where you live. You can find them on Products and Resources page on the ATTC Network website.

Here's a roundup for your reference:

Joining the Voices of Recovery: Joseph Green Inspires Through Spoken Word

August 24, 2018

Maureen Fitzgerald
ATTC Network Coordinating Office/NIATx



Joining the voices of recovery this September—and all year long— is spoken word artist Joseph Green.

Green is a motivational speaker, educational consultant, poet, and former Director of Youth Programs at Split This Rock, a Washington D.C. based organization that harnesses the power of poetry for social change. He's also a professional spoken word artist and storyteller, drawing on his recovery journey and other facets of his life to shape compelling narratives to inspire and help others.

Like this one, titled St. Jude:

Recovering as a community: Hancock County, Ohio

September 20, 2017

Maureen Fitzgerald
Communications Coordinator, ATTC Network Coordinating Office
Editor, NIATx 

The Hancock County 3rd Annual March for Recovery
attracted hundreds on  Sept.9  Photo: The Courier  

Hancock County, Ohio, is located on the I-75 corridor, known by some as the "oxy express"-- a pipeline for the opioids that are fueling the state's overdose epidemic.

In spite of that, Hancock County has not been hit as hard as other Ohio counties, ranking 67th of 88 counties in terms of overdose deaths, says Precia Stuby, Executive Director at the Hancock County Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board. 

But in 2013, the increasing opioid problem inspired the Board to look for ways to expand services. The Great Lakes ATTC put Stuby in touch with Michael Flaherty, a consultant on Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC).

The Power of Peers

September 1, 2017

Caroline Miller, MSW
Director, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Division of Continuing Studies

We know that recovery is more than just an individual journey.

People in recovery strengthen not only their own lives, but the lives of their family members and their entire community. There are countless examples of how a person in recovery can positively influence the world around them. One such way is by providing peer support – to be a part of recovery support services that help people in or seeking recovery to find and maintain healthy and fulfilling lives.

We're all connected: National Recovery Month 2017

August 23, 2017

Maureen Fitzgerald
Communications Coordinator, ATTC Network Coordinating Office
Editor, NIATx

"Recovery: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”

--from SAMHSA’s Working Definition of Recovery, 2012

National Recovery Month 2017 is just around the corner. This year’s theme, Join the Voices for Recovery: Strengthening Families and Communities, highlights the important role that families and communities play in helping others achieve recovery and reach their full potential. After all, as it's often said, people receive treatment for a substance use or mental health disorder in a healthcare setting, but they recover in the community. 

My Brother's Keeper: Teaching fathers and reuniting families

September 27, 2016

Maureen Fitzgerald
ATTC Network Coordinating Office/NIATx

Before she joined Santa Maria Hostel in Houston as director of the Maternal Initiative for Reflective Recovery-Oriented Residential Services (MIRRORS) program, Fayetta Bland worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“There was always a need for more Big Brothers,” says Fayetta. “We had little trouble finding Big Sisters, but Big Brothers were in short supply.” 

That’s what gave her the idea to create My Brother’s Keeper, a support group that offers positive male mentoring for the fathers involved with the women in the MIRRORs program.

MIRRORS, a grantee of SAMHSA’s Pregnant and Parenting Women (PPW) project, provides medical and behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum women and their families.

“One of the main goal of the MIRRORS program is family reunification,” explains Fayetta. “Many of the women in our program will return to the men in their lives, who will have a strong influence on the family. And if the father is going to be in the lives of the mother and children, we need to start working with the family as a unit.”

Let's Celebrate Adolescent Recovery

September 20, 2016

Let’s Celebrate Adolescent Recovery

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC
onthemarkconsulting25.com

In their book, Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and Realities of Alcoholism (2011), authors James Milam and Katherine Ketcham discuss worldwide research that suggests that the longer a society or culture has been exposed to alcohol, the greater the decrease in the rates of alcohol use disorders. The passage of time allows groups to develop cultural norms that support more responsible or ceremonial use of alcohol. The Jewish community is highlighted as an example of a group with a low rate of alcoholism compared with other groups, due to their long exposure to alcohol and clearly defined rituals around use (Kinny, 2014). 

In 1981, the same authors predicted that longer exposure to alcohol would increase rates of recovery among Native Americans, where alcohol had limited use among most tribes until arrival of the first European settlers. They were correct! At the time of this writing, groups like White Bison are helping tribes return to culture, dispel the myth that alcoholism is a part of their culture, and achieve recovery rates as high as 50-70%. The Alkali Lake Tribe in British Columbia, Canada went from 100% alcoholism to 95% recovery (Sanders, 2011). 

The United States, with just 240 years as a nation, has evolved from heavy, regular alcohol consumption during colonial times (see Colonial Americans Drank Roughly Three Times as Much as Americans Do Now)—to beginning to create sober rituals. During September, National Recovery Month, we celebrate recovery from substance abuse and mental health disorders with marches, rallies, parades, and other community events.

Celebrate National Recovery Month 2016!

August 30, 2016

Maureen Fitzgerald
ATTC Network Coordinating Office/NIATx

National Recovery Month 2016:

Join the Voices for Recovery: Our families, our stories, our recovery

This year, SAMHSA observes the 27^th year of National Recovery Month. With the theme “Join the Voices for Recovery: Our families, our stories, our recovery,” National Recovery Month 2016 acknowledges and celebrates the millions of Americans who are living in recovery from mental and substance use disorders.

Here’s a sampling of just some of the great resources the National Recovery Month website offers to help you organize and promote an event in your community, share stories, or broadcast the message that recovery in all its forms is possible:

UNITE to Face Addiction: "Our AIDS Quilt Moment"

September 29, 2015
Maureen Fitzgerald
Communications Coordinator, ATTC Network Coordinating Office
Editor, NIATx

See you at the mall this Sunday?

That's the National Mall in D.C., of course, for UNITE to Face Addiction!  The ATTC Network will be there--will you?

"...an advocacy movement that's different from anything we've ever done..."
UNITE to Face Addiction

Look for us in tee-shirts with the logo specially designed for this historic event by our talented colleague Mike Wilhelm of the National Rural and Frontier ATTC:

 
And a big thank you to the Central East ATTC for providing the tee shirts!
 
UNITE to Face Addiction brings together a diverse group of people to raise awareness about the impact of addiction. Along with celebrities and some of pop music's favorite performers (Joe Walsh, Steven Tyler, Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, the Fray and others), elected officials, and inspirational speakers, more than 75 ATTCers (at last count) will be there to send a unified message and stand up for recovery.

10 Webinars You Won't Want to Miss: National Recovery Month 2015

September 2015

Maureen Fitzgerald
Communications Coordinator, ATTC Network Coordinating Office
Editor, NIATx
National Recovery Month 2015 celebrates stories of people in recovery, writes Michael Botticelli in this month's feature article in the ATTC Messenger, and September 2015 is packed with activities across the nation sharing the Recovery Month message that treatment and prevention work and people do recover from mental health and substance use disorders.

And as President Obama says in today's  Presidential Proclamation, "This year's theme is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Visible, Vocal, Valuable!"  It encourages us all to do our part to eliminate negative public attitudes associated with substance use disorders and treatment."

The webinar lineup for Recovery Month 20125 offers almost daily opportunities for us to learn about innovations in treatment and recovery as well as ways to change attitudes. Here are just a few (well, 10) that you won't want to miss:

Break the silence: UNITE to Face Addiction

June 25, 2015

Pat Taylor
Community Outreach Coordinator
UNITE to Face Addiction

On October 4, 2015, tens of thousands of people representing organizations and families from the prevention, treatment, criminal justice, health and recovery communities will convene on the National Mall in Washington, DC. We’re grateful to the National ATTC Network and NIATx for standing up as one of the founding partner organizations for the UNITE to Face Addiction rally and for your help in mobilizing people to join us.

We are coming together to let policymakers, the media and our friends and neighbors know that addiction is preventable and treatable, that far too many of those affected have been incarcerated, and that people can and do get well.  As a member of the ATTC Network, you are needed to ignite and grow a movement that will demand solutions to the addiction crisis.

One of our nation’s best-kept secrets is that long-term recovery from addiction is a reality for over 23 million Americans. Regardless of the paths people choose to achieve recovery, their lives and the lives of their families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and communities are vastly improved. People in recovery and their allies are the living proof that there are real solutions to the devastation of addiction.

Although millions prove that recovery is real, more than 350 lives are lost each day to alcohol and other drugs – some 135,000 people each year – more than who die from either homicides or motor vehicle accidents. Another 22 million Americans are still suffering from addiction and the majority never receive any help.

Where is the national outrage about this needless loss of life, the costs to families and the economy, and more importantly, the demand for solutions? It’s time to speak up about the failed policies and poor care due to long-standing stigma and discriminatory public policies. For too long, a great majority of people connected to addiction have remained silent.

The time is now to break that silence.

Why 2015 and Why Washington, D.C.?

• The grassroots constituency that has developed over the last 15 years is organized
• To build on greater acceptance of treating alcohol and other drug problems as health issues
• Too many Americans lack access to the individualized treatment and other recovery support services they need to get their lives on track
• Introduction of the bi-partisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) in Congress and other public policy initiatives to address addiction and discrimination
• Across the political spectrum, there is an understanding that current rates of incarceration, including for alcohol- and other drug-related offenses, can’t be sustained

We’ve developed an array of resources that you can use to let other people know about UNITE to Face Addiction that can be downloaded from our web site. We also have a team of field organizers who are mobilizing people in communities across the country to get to Washington, DC for the rally on October 4 and for our Advocacy Day on Capital Hill on October 5. We’re going to make history when we demand solutions to the addiction crisis. Together, we can end the silence.

What you can do:
1. Go to www.facingaddiction.org and sign up to get updates and information about how you can get involved.
2. Contact the field organizer working in your state who is ready to help you mobilize.
3. Share your story about why you’re going to DC on our web page.
4. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
5. Tell your friends that you’ll be in Washington, DC on 10.4.15 and ask them to join you!

See you in October!

Pat Taylor has over 40 years of experience developing and managing local and national public interest advocacy campaigns on a range of issues including healthcare, the environment, community development and philanthropy.  Most recently she served as Executive Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery from 2003-2014, where she led the development of the organization into the national voice of the organized addiction recovery community.

Earth Day, Google Doodles, and the Recovery Movement

September 4, 2014

Kimberly Johnson, MSEd, MBA

NIATx Deputy Director

Co-Director, ATTC Network Coordinating Office

At first, it seemed like a radical idea, with Rachel Carson and scientists talking about how industrialization was destroying our environment, but on the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took part in rallies across the nation to demonstrate for clean air and water. A wave of legislation after the event created United States Environmental Protection Agency and led to the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Earth Day raised consciousness and created fertile ground for research on ways to protect the environment. As a result, many environmental issues have improved in the U.S.: we have cleaner air and water, and thanks to recycling, we send much less garbage to landfills. Anyone that can remember the 1970’s knows that there has been a tremendous improvement in the environment here in the U.S. Earth Day is a now an international event that’s noted on calendars and even has its own Google doodle.

What if we could make the substance use disorders as rare as dumping chemical waste into the water? What if we applauded addiction recovery as widely as the return of an endangered species?

This month marks SAMHSA’s 25^th National Recovery Month, with the theme “Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out.” Events and activities across the country are encouraging people in recovery to “go public” about how they live recovered lives. One event that you won’t want to miss is SAMHSA’s live, interactive webcast at 12 noon CST on September 15, Recovery and Health: Echoing through the Community. SAMHSA is encouraging organizations to take action and set up “Echo Events”— community organized meetings held in tandem with the webcast. Find out how you can host your own Echo Event.

National experts on the SAMHSA webcast include recovery movement leader William White, who has also contributed the feature article “Tribute to the Recovery Movement” to the September ATTC Messenger. And our Third Thursday iTraining (September 18, 2pm EST) this month features speakers from Young People in Recovery.

You'll also want to mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 17, 2-4pm EST, when  the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is hosting Recovery at the White House. You're invited to host a viewing party of the event, which will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov/live. This event will feature tweets with questions for panelists in recovery on stage. To find out more, contact Nataki MacMurray at RecoveryRSVP@ondcp.eop.gov

All of these activities underscore the message delivered in SAMHSA's Recovery Month Kick-off webcast on September 4. Combating the public health crisis of addiction requires a coordinated effort among addiction treatment providers, government officials, law enforcement, researchers, schools, churches, community groups, families…anyone and everyone affected by addiction.

I used to want a ribbon or a wristband for the Recovery Movement. Now I’m thinking Google Doodle. Why? Who cares? Because a symbol of recognition that reaches beyond those of us working in the field or in recovery ourselves is an important marker. If we are ever going to clean up our environment and make addiction rare and recovery lauded, we need to build the movement, gain the attention of the general public, all of whom are affected by substance abuse in some way, and make every month Recovery Month.

Kimberly Johnson, NIATx Deputy Director and ATTC Network Coordinating Office Co-Director, served for seven years as the director of the Office of Substance Abuse in Maine. She has also served as an executive director for a treatment agency, managed intervention and prevention programs, and has worked as a child and family therapist. She joined NIATx in 2007 to lead the ACTION Campaign, a national initiative to increase access to and retention in treatment. She is currently involved in projects with the ATTC Network and NIATx that focus on increasing implementation of evidence-based practices, testing mobile health applications, and developing distance-learning programs for behavioral health. 

Recovery: Going Public

September 25, 2013

Cindy Christy
Program Manager, ATTC Network Coordinating Office 

Imagine walking amidst 10,000 people celebrating having their lives back. It happened at the Rally4Recovery in Rhode Island last week, and it’s happening across the country this month. September is National Recovery Month, conceived over 20 years ago to celebrate that recovery in all its forms is possible. Celebrate is the key word here; recovery walks, live concerts, picnics, races, rallies, bike rides, and major league baseball games are just a few ways people are celebrating their recovery. 

This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together on Pathways to Wellness,” emphasizes that there are many unique ways people can prevent behavioral health issues, seek treatment, and sustain recovery.  People in recovery have a lot to celebrate: they’ve regained their lives, their families and friends, their health, and their self-worth. They’ve become productive members of society, good citizens, and they give back to their community…that IS something to celebrate.

Recovery is everywhere. Social Media is a key feature of Recovery Month; twitter chats, online rallies, live streaming events and Facebook campaigns like the one for Americans in Recovery. Peter Gaumond, Chief of the Recovery Branch of the White House Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP) talks about the Americans in Recovery campaign as being one of the most significant steps ONDCP has taken recently. In an article featured in the September ATTC Messenger, Gaumond states that “the ONDCP is going to new lengths to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around addiction and recovery and to elevate the voice of the recovery community”.

While NRM is a huge success in spreading the message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover, there is still a long road ahead. Stigma is one the most significant barriers to recovery and recovery supports. Stephen Gumbley, Director of the New England ATTC,  presented September's Third Thursday iTraining webinar, “The Public Face of the Personal Journey of Recovery.” In the webinar, Gumbley challenged the audience to change the enduring perceptions about substance use disorders and recovery and to “bear witness” to the realities of personal transformation and long-term recovery.  He also shared his own story of recovery and his belief in citizenship as a dimension of recovery.  As he pointed out, 25 million Americans in long-term recovery have the potential to become a powerful force for social and political change. To watch Gumbley’s presentation, visit the ATTC Network vimeo site.

One way the recovery community and the general public can exercise their citizenship and help shape national recovery policy is by emailing the ONDCP at: recovery@ondcp.eop.gov, as Peter Gaumond suggests in the article mentioned above.

Another way to show the public face of recovery is through a community event. If you visit the National Recovery Month homepage, you’ll see that more than 700 community events are happening across the country--and the number is growing daily.

One event that’s coming up is Healthy Families, Healthy Communities: It’s All About Recovery! sponsored by the Great Lakes ATTC and taking place on September 30 in Chicago.

“There are many pathways to recovery,” says Lonnetta Albright, Director of the Great Lakes ATTC. “Some people go through treatment, some use medication, some achieve recovery through their faith community or other support groups. But no matter the pathway, people sustain and maintain recovery in their communities and their homes.”

The event will focus on the ROSC framework that the Great Lakes ATTC has been a leader in developing and in helping systems and communities to implement, emphasizing that healthy families and healthy communities are necessary for recovery and wellness to flourish. 

What if one day we turn on the evening news, and instead of seeing a celebrity's struggle to maintain sobriety in lurid detail, we would see 20,000 recovering people and their loved ones celebrating the gift of recovery? That would be a good news story.

Is your organization helping show the public face of recovery through an event or other National Recovery Month activity? E-mail a photo (iPhone photos will be fine—professional quality not required) of your event to Maureen.fitzgerald@attcnetworkoffice.org, and we’ll include it in an upcoming blog post!  

Recovery Month 2013: Sharing Stories From People in Recovery and Coping with Hepatitis C

September 11, 2013

Maureen Fitzgerald
Editor, ATTC Network Coordinating Office and NIATx



“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

Maya Angelou

Personal stories of recovery have the power to transform lives. Reading stories of others can help you learn about yourself—and sometimes, reading someone else’s story can help you share your own.

Since 2008, the ATTC Network has sponsored the In My Own Words Essay Contest to celebrate National Recovery Month. The essay contests have invited recovery essays from a variety of groups: addictions treatment and recovery services professionals, high school and college students, affected family members, people supported by medication-assisted treatment, and active service members and veterans in recovery.

The 2013 In My Own Words essay contest, sponsored in partnership with Faces & Voices of Recovery, The Hepatitis C Association, Help4Hep, and Harm Reduction Coalition, is calling for essays from people in recovery from substance abuse and or a mental health disorder who are also coping with hepatitis C.

Common misconceptions

Sue Simon, President of the Hepatitis C Association, was diagnosed with the virus in the early 1990s. Sharing her story, says Simon, is one positive way to manage a chronic illness. “It helps me to know that my story might help someone else,” she says.

The Hepatitis C Association works to change misconceptions about the virus. Among them is the belief that it is solely the result of IV drug use. “It’s important for people to know that hepatitis C is a blood-borne pathogen,” says Simon. “A person is at risk for the virus whenever blood is exchanged.”

Another misconception is that hepatitis C cannot be cured. But just as with substance use and mental health disorders, treatment is effective and recovery is possible. Similarly, emerging medications are helping people who have relapsed or not responded to treatment in the past. “More and more patients are getting cured with easier and shorter treatments,” says Simon. “In fact, hepatitis C is the first chronic virus that is actually being cured by drugs,” she adds.

When Simon was first diagnosed, the cure rate with 48 weeks of Interferon (the only drug available at the time) was just 10%. “With the addition of other drugs, the treatment time remained at 48 weeks, but the cure rate increased to 50%,” says Simon. “Today, new drugs in trial are improving the cure rate to between 90 and 100%.” 

Having recently completed a trial herself, Simon now has no evidence of the virus. “I’m in my late 60’s and it looks like I’m cured,” she says.

A silent disease

The Center for Disease Control recommends that anyone born from 1945 through 1965 get tested for Hepatitis C.

“As many as 800 thousand baby boomers in the United States may be infected with Hepatitis C, yet unaware of it,” says Simon. “This is partly because it’s a silent disease with no symptoms in the first couple of decades. One-third of patients with hepatitis C don’t even have elevated liver enzymes, making it difficult for doctors to recognize the need to test,” says Simon.

The only way to know for sure is to request a hepatitis C antibody test. The state of New York is working on legislation requiring medical providers to offer a hepatitis C test to anyone born between 1945 and 1965. Other states are expected to follow suit. However, the best way to make sure you are tested is to talk directly with your doctor and ask for a test.

“It’s always good to know your status,” says Simon, adding that people who test positive can make lifestyle changes and benefit from treatment that will reduce their chances of liver cancer, cirrhosis, or a liver transplant.

Reducing stigma

Through the In My Own Words Essay Contest, people in recovery who are also managing hepatitis C can reduce stigma and change attitudes about these chronic conditions—and maybe encourage others to seek treatment or testing. The top 20 submissions will be included in a compilation, and prizes will be awarded to the first-, second-, and third-place essays.

Adds Simon, “The essay contest is a great opportunity for people to experience the relief that comes from sharing their stories and helping someone else.”

Making Recovery Month Matter

September 3, 2013

By Kevin Kirby, CEO of Face It TOGETHER

National Recovery Month is celebrated each year as an opportunity for all of us affected by addiction to show the power of recovery to transform lives. While this is all well and good, I believe our work needs to go much deeper if we really want to make a difference in our nation’s communities.

We’re all aware of the grim statistics.  Almost 90 percent of people with a serious alcohol or other drug problem won’t get help in a given year. The hard fact is that far too many people with the disease of addiction, and their families, suffer in silence for a lifetime.

But this isn’t only about those directly affected. Every community sector pays the costs of the deep stigma and shame, and the failures in today’s system of care, that keep recovery out of reach for so many.

There are no easy solutions.  No doubt that health care reform and declining public sector funding are ushering in a sea change for the behavioral health field. But this is also a chance for real progress.  Positive social change doesn’t happen by accident. It comes by seizing opportunities and finding creative new approaches to old problems.

At Face It TOGETHER  we’re dedicated to changing everything about the way addiction is addressed in our communities. This means bringing unconventional partners to the table and connecting stakeholders in new ways.

Our work, which began five years ago in Sioux Falls, S.D., uses the power of the private sector to enlist multiple community sectors to transform institutions, systems, and cultures around the chronic disease of addiction.

We’re focused on total system change. We work to engage all the key players in the community – employers, integrated health care providers, payors and other influential stakeholders – to implement financially sustainable, shared solutions to addiction.

For example, our Employer Initiative extends the “community of recovery” directly into the workplace.  About 60 percent of Americans with addiction are employed full-time. The disease hurts employers through lost productivity, higher absenteeism and health care costs and safety problems.

Because employers have skin in the game – and many employers also want to do the right thing – the workplace must be at the core of a recovery-oriented community. Through our initiative, we educate employers and employees about addiction as a chronic disease, remove barriers to recovery like stigma and fear, create a culture of openness, coordinate recovery-supportive benefits, and show return on investment. 

We provide value to employers in return for a sustainable, stable funding stream for our local recovery community organization. Today in Sioux Falls, 25 major employers participate, representing about one-third of the community’s total workforce. 

You can learn more about what we do in communities by visiting wefaceittogether.org.

We don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I hope that this year’s National Recovery Month gets all of us thinking about how we can better serve as society’s “change agents” – asking tough questions and advancing creative solutions to make our communities fundamentally better places to live.

Kevin Kirby is CEO and co-founder of Face It TOGETHER. Earlier this year, he was elected to the influential Ashoka Fellowship for social entrepreneurship.

Wefaceittogether.org

@faceit2gether1