SAMHSA's Road to Recovery Update

The Road to Recovery Update keeps you informed about activities leading up to National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) in September. Feel free to forward this information to friends and colleagues, include it in newsletters or listservs, or link to it from your Web site.

Thank You for Participating in the 2008 Recovery Month Observance!

We would like extend our gratitude for making the 19th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) effort a tremendous success. SAMHSA recognizes that this success is a result of your support and hard work in helping to make a difference in the lives of those in need of treatment and recovery support services. Because of you, individuals and communities were educated about the continued need for treatment and recovery support services and the impact that these services has on building a healthier community for all. The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) Highlights & Accomplishments, which summarizes the national and local activities, the resulting media exposure, and the growing support from elected officials, policymakers, education leaders, judges, health providers, the faith community, and many other sectors, will be available on the Recovery Month Web site in early 2009.

Preliminary Counts Show the 2008 Recovery Month Observance is Our Most Successful Ever!

However, please help us reach our goal! Throughout December, please continue to enter and share your Recovery Month event, photographs, and results on the Recovery Month Web site. In addition, you can continue to encourage your local government officials to sign an official proclamation that designates September as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month and post it on the Web site to encourage others to sign proclamations!

Help us to continue to grow in our efforts to improve the lives of individuals and their families affected by alcohol and substance use disorders.

Our 20th Anniversary: Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal

January 1, 2009 commences our 20th Anniversary and the release of our 2009 Web site. The 2009 theme, "Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal," emphasizes the need to use all available resources, in our communities and on the Internet, to educate people about the disease and to help those with substance use disorders, and those close to them, get assistance. It also celebrates the power of community support and understanding.

Give People a Voice for Recovery

Do you know someone who is celebrating recovery? Let them know that they have a voice! Because the successes of individuals in recovery are often overlooked by society, Voices for Recovery gives people the opportunity to share their stories with others and provides education for the general public about treatment for alcohol and drug addiction.

Help us to continue to grow in our efforts to improve the lives of individuals and their families affected by alcohol and drug use disorders!

About Recovery Month

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, celebrating 19 years of observance in 2008, is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). For more information about Recovery Month, visit www.recoverymonth.gov.