Transcript Introductions

Voices of Hope and Optimism, Recovery
from Alcohol & Drug Problems
The organized recovery
movement in the U.S.
Pat Taylor
Executive Director
Faces & Voices of Recovery
March 23, 2009
National Recovery Summit
A Call to Action
In 2001, recovery advocates
came together with national allies
to establish Faces & Voices of
Recovery, a nationwide advocacy
campaign in the U.S.
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Faces & Voices of Recovery
It is our collective strength that
will ensure our success, and it is
our mission to bring the power
and proof of recovery to
everyone in America.
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Paths to Recovery
There are many pathways to recovery
 Mutual Support groups
 Professional treatment
 Nontraditional methods
 Medical interventions
 Faith
 on your own
 and more
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The Recovery Community
People in recovery from addiction to
alcohol and other drugs, families,
friends and allies
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Governance Structure
A grassroots organization. We are organized
regionally and governed by the recovery
community.
Meet our board of directors
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Message of Hope
“Many of us have carried a message of
hope on a one-to-one basis; this new
recovery movement calls upon us to carry
that message of hope to whole communities
and the whole culture. We will shape the
future of recovery with a detached silence or
with a passionate voice. It is time we
stepped forward to shape this history with
our stories, our time and our talents.”
William White
Author & Recovery Advocate
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A Shared Vision
Across the country, family
members, friends and allies are
rallying in support of recovery –
creating a new recovery
movement!!!
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Faces & Voices of Recovery
 Changing public
perceptions of
recovery
 Promoting effective
public policy
 Demonstrating that
recovery is working for
millions of Americans
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Mainstreaming Recovery…
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Recovery-friendly communities
We are organizing
and mobilizing to
develop policies,
communities,
and a society that are
recovery-friendly.
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Standing up for our rights!
We will improve the lives of millions
of Americans, their families and
communities if we treat addiction to
alcohol and other drugs as a public
health crisis. To overcome this
crisis, we must accord dignity to
people with addiction and recognize
that there is no one path to
recovery.
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Faces & Voices of Recovery
Raises national profile…

September 2005 Summit in Washington, DC
 Restored rights to students with drug
convictions
 Restored federal funding to organizations
providing peer recovery support services
 Helped to pass the Second Chance Act
 Helped to pass the Wellstone/Domenici Mental
Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act
 Promoted long-term recovery through projects
like HBO’s Addiction, Rally for Recovery &
Recovery Voices Count
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Faces & Voices of Recovery
Supports local recovery advocacy…
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Conducts workshops and trainings
Provides technical assistance
Offers programming opportunities
Communicates regularly
Provides information from Washington and
around the world on recovery-related topics
and much much more!
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Communicating
eNewsletter
Power of Our Stories video
Regional Listservs
Speakers Bureau
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Faces & Voices of Recovery
Many Voices, A Common Message
By speaking, writing or supporting
advocacy efforts, members of the
recovery community can make a
profound difference in public
understanding of addiction and
recovery and change discriminatory
policies that put up barriers to
recovery.
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Talking about Recovery
Our Stories Have Power – A
Media Workshop for Recovery
Advocates
 Training developed in 2006
 Research-based
 Over 3,000 advocates trained
 Adapted for many different purposes
 Used successfully all over the country
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Public Opinion Research
Broad/Deep Support for a Campaign
to Put a Face on Recovery
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88% believe it is very important for the American public
to see that thousands get well each year.
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87% believe it is very important for the American public
to know the basic facts about addiction and recovery.
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50% would be very (31%) or fairly (19%) likely to take
part actively in a public campaign.
2001 Survey of the Recovery Community; Peter D. Hart Associates
Faces & Voices of Recovery 2006
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Talking About Recovery
There are some important things that we’ve
learned from our research about how to talk
with people about recovery:
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Making it personal, so that we have credibility.
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Keeping it simple and in the present tense, so that
it’s real and understandable.
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Helping people understand that recovery means that
you or the person that you care about is no longer
using alcohol or other drugs. We do this by moving
away from saying “in recovery” to saying “in longterm recovery,” talking about stability and mentioning
the length of time that the person is in recovery.
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Talking about your recovery…not your addiction.
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Website
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Training & Organizing
 2007-2009
Teleconference Series:
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Editorial Board meetings
Restoration of Voting Rights
Peer Recovery Support
Services
Recovery Community
Centers
 Message and Media
Trainings
 Science of Addiction
and Recovery Training
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Recovery Community Organizations
The recovery community is organized
in local, state & regional organizations
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Recovery Community Organizations
 Independent, non-profit organizations
that are led and run by representatives
of local communities of recovery on
behalf of the recovery community.
education – putting a face and a voice on
recovery
 Advocacy
 Peer-based and other recovery support services.
 Public
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Recovery Community Organizations
 Almost 200 recovery community
organizations around the U.S.
 Ranging in size/budget/scope:
 3-5
members to 1,000s of members
 All volunteer to 20+ staff members
 $0 budget to over $1 million/year
 Local, regional, state
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Recovery Community Organizations
 Recovery Community Centers
A physical location where recovery
community organizations organize their
ability to care and to advocate
 Community recovery resource with workshops,
trainings, meetings, and sober social events
 A place where the recovery community
volunteers and gives back
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Campaigns & Issues
 Paul Wellstone/Pete
Domenici Mental
Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act
 Second Chance Act
 Funding / Budget
Priorities
 Health care reform
VICTORY!
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Paul Wellstone & Pete Domenici
Mental Health Parity and Addiction
Equity Act of 2008
This legislation is one more step in the long civil-rights struggle to
ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to reach their
potential. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
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Health care reform
Wellstone-Domenici Act was an important
first step in making it possible for the
millions of Americans still struggling with
addiction and their families to get the help
that they need to recover from addiction to
alcohol and other drugs.
Millions more still need help to recover.
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Recovery
Voices
Count!
A step-bystep guide
teaches
advocates
how to
engage
people in
civic life and
organize
events.
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A constituency of consequence
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Recovery and Wellness focus
Ensuring that people get the care and
support that they need to lead healthy
and fulfilling lives.
 Embracing all pathways to recovery
 Networks of formal and informal
services and support
 Policies that support, don’t hinder, the
ability of people to get into recovery and to
sustain their recovery
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Faces & Voices’ Vision…
 Communities of recovery will continue to spring up
all over the U.S. helping people find and sustain
their recovery from addiction to alcohol and other
drugs for the long-term.
 People in recovery, families, friends and allies will
organize and mobilize as a constituency of
consequence in thriving recovery community
organizations.
 Discrimination against people in or seeking
recovery will be eliminated and the same rights
and opportunities will be afforded to all Americans.
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Join Us!
www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org
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