Communities across the Nation are preparing
for the 19th annual National
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in
September—more than 90 events are
already posted at www.recoverymonth.gov.
This year’s theme, “Real
People, Real Recovery,” celebrates
the commitment of people in recovery
from substance use disorders.
To support community planning efforts,
SAMHSA recently released Recovery
Month’s 2008
planning toolkit, which is available
in print and online.
Offering more than 20 fact sheets, the
kit is divided into three sections:
Media Outreach provides ideas
to help plan activities and materials
to customize with local information,
including a media advisory, guidance
for writing op-ed pieces and press releases,
and official proclamations.
Targeted Outreach provides audience-specific
materials to distribute to treatment
providers, families, and employers.
Resources to help event planners
and people in recovery include a fact
sheet on linking with partner organizations
and an extensive list of Federal, state,
and private resources.
Tips on Using the Toolkit
Spread your message by following a simple
procedure.
Involve key stakeholders. Treatment
providers, recovery support groups, employers,
and civil service workers can assist
with planning or participate in campaign
events.
Plan events. Activities that
focus on real people will show how substance
use disorders affect everyone. Review
the “Promotional Event Ideas and
Publicity Tips” fact sheet for
how to get started.
Publicize
events. Customize the
media outreach materials and distribute
them to local media outlets. To promote
your activities, post events at www.recoverymonth.gov.
Educate your
community. Distribute
audience-specific overviews to event
attendees and local leaders.
Share your
accomplishments. Submit
the “Customer Satisfaction Form” and
share successes, materials, and photos
on the Recovery Month Web site.
