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 by going to the Multimedia page on the Recovery Month Web site and clicking on Road to Recovery Updates.

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!

Tune in Today for the July Road to Recovery Webcast: Treatment and the Justice System: Preventing Problems and Ensuring Recovery

Join host, Ivette Torres, Associate Director for Consumer Affairs, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for the July 2009 Road to Recovery Webcast (to view the July Webcast, go to the Recovery Month Web site and click on Multimedia, Road to Recovery Television Series tab).

According to a study by the Bureau of Justice, 32 percent of inmates at the State level and 26 percent of those at the Federal level reported they were using alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense. Reducing substance abuse not only helps to break the cycle of recidivism but can help prevent individuals from entering the justice system in the first place. This program will showcase how treatment and recovery services both within and outside the justice system transform lives and families, create safer communities, and serve as an effective crime prevention tool.

June 25th Press Briefing: 2009 Recovery Month Marks 20th Anniversary of Observance and Unveils Television and Radio Public Service Announcements

On June 25th, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), unveiled materials for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) at a news briefing that highlighted plans for this September’s observance. Please visit our newly designed Web site to access all the 20th Anniversary materials.

Recovery Month Wants to Post Your Press Releases, News, Studies, and Reports, and Other Information

Recovery Month is interested in posting your news, press releases, studies, reports, calls for releases, and other information on our new Web site. If you have materials related to substance use disorders, treatment, and recovery, please send them to recoverymonth@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Announcing the July Ask the Expert: Pamela Rodriguez, M.A., President, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities

As President at TASC, Pam Rodriguez oversees service delivery to nearly 30,000 individuals referred to TASC by Illinois courts, corrections, and child welfare systems each year. She also directs new program development, quality assurance, research, and public policy activities. Ms. Rodriguez has more than 25 years' experience in program development, implementation, clinical service delivery, quality improvement, and administration. An expert in managing effective service delivery within complex service systems, she serves as liaison between TASC, large public systems, treatment and other service providers, and state and federal funding entities.

Questions for the July Road to Recovery Webcast: Treatment and the Justice System: Preventing Problems and Ensuring Recovery are due by Friday, July 17, 2009 (to view the July Webcast, go to the Recovery Month Web site and click on Multimedia, Road to Recovery Television Series tab).

Submit your questions to Ms. Rodriguez by using the “Contact Us” form on our Web site. Answers from Ms. Rodriguez will be posted on the Multimedia, Ask the Expert Section of the Recovery Month Web site in early August. Contact information for questions will be kept confidential.

2009 Recovery Month Public Service Announcements Available on our Web site

Recovery Month is pleased to announce the posting on our Web site of our 2009 radio and television public service announcements (PSAs). Please visit the Multimedia/Television and Radio PSAs page and view the English and Spanish television PSAs, Black and White in Color and Making Sense, and the radio PSAs, Homework and Making Sense. In addition, open-ended versions of the television and radio PSAs were produced so communities can localize the PSAs with local information. To order copies of the television and radio PSAs, please contact recoverymonth@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Coming Soon: Recovery Month Launches a Facebook Page!

Recovery Month is launching a Facebook page! On our Facebook page, we’ll highlight your Recovery Month events (which are posted on our Web site), pictures, videos, and PSAs, provide you with updates on our Recovery Month activities, and encourage you to get involved with Recovery Month. We look forward to seeing you on Facebook!

The 2009 Recovery Month Toolkit, Posters, and Flyers Are Now Available Online and in Print!

Recovery Month is pleased to announce the release of the 2009 Recovery Month toolkit designed to help you plan and publicize your activities during Recovery Month in September and throughout the year. The toolkit, available on our Web site through the Recovery Month Kit tab and for order by calling 1-800-662-HELP or sending email to SHIN@samhsa.hhs.gov, includes three sections:

			"Media Outreach" offers tips for planning and promoting your Recovery Month activities.
			"Targeted Outreach" offers details about substance use disorders, tailored for specific audiences.
			"Resources" can help you prepare for your Recovery Month events, as well as consider potential partnerships with other organizations to share resources. The 2009 toolkit can be ordered by calling 1-800-662-HELP and will be available online within the next week for ordering and downloading.

To help you promote Recovery Month, posters and small and large flyers that outline the 2009 Recovery Month campaign, as well as the 2008 Recovery Month successes, are also available for download via our Web site by clicking on the Banners, Flyers, and Logos tab and ordering by calling 1-800-662-HELP or sending email to SHIN@samhsa.hhs.gov. Download and order yours today!

Post Your Events and Urge State and Local Officials to Submit Proclamations!

Gather attention and support for your Recovery Month events, and the milestone of the nationwide campaign’s 20th anniversary, from key leaders in your community to elevate the general public’s and media’s attention to the issue. Sponsor community events, which can be held all year long, to increase the education and understanding of addiction, treatment, and recovery issues. Additionally, ask your state and local officials to issue proclamations recognizing September as Recovery Month. Start planning your events, proclamations, and observance and post them to www.recoverymonth.gov under the Community Events and Proclamation tabs.

Please Join In The Rooms—An Online Social Networking Site for the Recovery Community

Join In The Rooms—the Web's newest and most comprehensive social networking site for the worldwide recovery community. In The Rooms provides resources for people seeking help or treatment, for people in recovery, and for friends, family, and allies of those in recovery. You can join online meetings and affinity groups, browse the library for articles, connect with other resources for recovery, and take an active role in promoting recovery. Join here: http://www.intherooms.com/.

About Recovery Month

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, celebrating 20 years of observance in 2009, is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. For more information about Recovery Month, visit http://www.recoverymonth.gov.