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What is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Recovery Month? |
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The Recovery Month observance
highlights the societal benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment,
lauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the
message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is
possible. The observance also encourages citizens to take action
to help expand and improve the availability of effective alcohol and drug use treatment for those in need. Each year a new theme, or
emphasis, is selected for the observance. |
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When is Recovery Month? |
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Recovery Month is an annual
observance which began in 1989 and takes place during the month
of September. |
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Who sponsors Recovery Month? |
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Recovery Month is sponsored by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). CSAT, created in October
1992 by a Congressional mandate, provides national leadership in
the Federal government's effort to improve the lives of
individuals and their families affected by alcohol and drug abuse.
CSAT works to improve access to clinically sound, cost-effective
addiction treatment to reduce the health and social cost to our
communities and the Nation. Such factors as inadequate capacity,
limited public and private health insurance benefits, and stigma
have contributed to the gap between the number of people who need
treatment and the number who receive it.
CSAT works cooperatively with a myriad of public
and private addiction treatment organizations and related entities
to identify, develop, and support approaches and programs that
expand and enhance treatment services. As a part of those efforts,
CSAT produces a number of publications that provide technical
assistance to providers seeking to deliver the most effective
treatment services to their clients. CSAT also aims to assist the
public with localized efforts to promote treatment effectiveness
and encourage communities to invest in addiction treatment
services.
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Who participates in Recovery Month? |
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Recovery Month seeks to involve
multiple participants from every sector, as substance abuse and
treatment is an issue that affects everyone. In recent years, Recovery
Month activities have grown significantly and include
participation by State and local government agencies, national and
local constituency organizations in the alcohol and drug addiction
field, public and private addiction treatment providers, CSAT
grantees, civic and elected officials, and consumers of treatment
services and their family members who are interested in improving
and increasing addiction treatment and recovery services. |
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Why is Recovery Month an important
observance? |
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Recovery Month provides a platform
to celebrate people in recovery and those who serve them. Each
September, thousands of treatment programs around the country
celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors,
friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about
treatment, how it works, for whom, and why. Substance abuse
treatment providers have made significant accomplishments, having
transformed the lives of untold thousands of Americans. These
successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore,
Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these
successes.
Recovery Month also serves to
educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis,
that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is
possible. Recovery Month highlights the benefits of
treatment for not only the affected individual, but for their
family, friends, workplace, and society as a whole. Educating the
public reduces the stigma associated with addiction and treatment.
Accurate knowledge of the disease helps people to understand the
importance of supporting treatment programs, those who work within
the treatment field, and those in need of treatment.
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What activities take place during Recovery
Month? |
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During Recovery Month various
celebrations are held across the country. Recovery Month
activities are numerous and vary according to the resources and
effort put forth by the national and local sponsors. CSAT hosts a
national kick-off media event in Washington, DC, and a live Web
chat concerning Recovery Month and treatment.
Activities held at the local level include community forums at
which experts and legislators host a dialogue about local
addiction treatment issues; health and information fairs sponsored
by concerned community organizations; Run/Walk events; and other
activities which include the placement of special news features
about people in recovery and the promotion of radio and television
coverage about addiction treatment-related issues. |
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What can be done at the local level to support Recovery
Month? |
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No effort is too small. Anyone can get involved.
Following are only a few examples.
- Host a community forum.
- Write a press release or letter to the editor
highlighting a local treatment center or the accomplishments
of a member of the community in recovery.
- Distribute information to educate others on
the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment.
- Sponsor a fundraiser for a local nonprofit
treatment facility such as a silent auction or a Run/Walk
event.
For more information or other ideas, please
reference the Recovery Month kit currently available
on this site.
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Are there materials produced to support Recovery
Month activities? |
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CSAT produces and distributes a Recovery
Month kit to various national and local organizations;
Federal, State and local government agencies and officials;
grantees; professional treatment associations; and private
treatment organizations. The Recovery Month kit is a
user-friendly, comprehensive package of materials designed to
assist the recipient with outreach to local media, key
constituency groups, and special audiences. The kit is also filled
with resources for individuals seeking substance abuse and
treatment-related information. In addition to the kit,
Recovery Month posters (large format) and flyers (small
format) are produced to advertise and promote the celebration.
Recovery Month also hosts an
interactive Web site where materials may be downloaded or ordered,
news is distributed, and events are posted by locality.
Public Service Announcements for television, radio,
and print media are produced to highlight the effectiveness of
treatment and to encourage those in need of treatment to seek
help. CSAT's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP, a 24-hour,
7-day-a-week Helpline that offers free and confidential substance
abuse and addiction-related information and treatment referrals is
also highlighted.
National, State, and local governments are
encouraged to produce proclamations dedicating September as National
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in their
jurisdictions.
For more information about Recovery Month,
call the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at 301-443-5052 or
click on any of the currently available Recovery Month
kits available csat.samhsa.gov
or www.health.org/
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