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 as well as throughout the year. We encourage you 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 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!

It’s September! Welcome to the 20th Anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month!

View the video of Dr. H. Westley Clark, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, as he discusses the importance of promoting treatment and recovery, and welcomes you to the 20th anniversary of Recovery Month.

Join your friends, family, and colleagues to celebrate recovery at one of the thousands of Recovery Month events held around the world this month! Search for events in your area, post your events, and join thousands of others who are celebrating recovery in this historic year.

Premiering Today: September Road to Recovery Webcast, Recovery in the Workplace: Treatment Benefits Both Employees and Employers

Join host Ivette Torres as the September Road to Recovery webcast looks at the critical role that an employer plays in the success of an individual’s recovery from substance use disorders. This webcast will look at examples of companies investing in their employees, what it means to nurture a "drug-free workplace," and what the recently passed Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act of 2008 means for employers.

Announcing the September Road to Recovery Ask the Expert: Robert White, LCPC, CEAP

Robert White is the Director of Behavioral Health for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Department of Psychiatry, where he manages Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and behavioral health contracts for the hospital, the campus, and the Baltimore Orioles. He holds a clinical faculty appointment with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is certified in addiction treatment, and continues to teach and publish on subjects related to impaired professionals, intervention, EAPs, and telemental health. He received the Isadore Tuerk Award in 2004 for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Substance Abuse Treatment. He has a private practice, which includes a weekly group for professionals in recovery, and he has been in recovery for 29 years. He was the founding president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence–Maryland in 1988. He has chaired the Annual Tuerk Conference on Addiction Treatment for 20 years.

Questions for the September Road to Recovery Webcast, Recovery in the Workplace: Treatment Benefits Both Employees and Employers, are due by Friday, September 18, 2009.

Submit your questions to Mr. White by using the “Contact Us” form on our Web site. Answers from Mr. White will be posted on the Recovery Month Web site in early September. Contact information for questions will be kept confidential.

Answers to the July Ask the Expert Questions Posted

View the Questions and Answers from the July Road to Recovery Webcast, Treatment and the Justice System: Preventing Problems and Ensuring Recovery. Pamela Rodriguez, Executive Vice President, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, answers questions asked by the public.

The Planning Partners Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 2 is Available

In this issue, SAMHSA welcomes five new Planning Partners! Read about Maryanne Frangules whose work through the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery has helped to build a strong recovery community and to educate the public and policymakers on the benefits of treatment and recovery for more than 20 years. Read Ivette Torres’s editorial column on the 20th anniversary of Recovery Month and the importance of promoting treatment and recovery every day.

Recovery Month Has a Community Events Widget!

A widget is an online tool that can be added to a Web site that displays or shares information from various sources. Our widget is a unique way of showcasing Recovery Month community events. The more places people can find community events online, the more people will know about events occurring in their area. Add the widget to your Web site today!

Submit Your Event Photos and Videos by October 9th for Possible Inclusion in a Recovery Month Video

Share photos and videos from your events for the historic 20th anniversary of Recovery Month, and they may be included in a Recovery Month video.

Log into the Community Events page to submit your photos and email recoverymonth@samhsa.hhs.gov for information on how to submit your videos.

Submit Your Local and State Proclamations Today

Send in your state and local proclamations recognizing September as Recovery Month. View a sample proclamation and get tips on how to initiate a proclamation. Start planning now and post your events, proclamations, and observances on the Recovery Month Web site today!

Join over 750 Facebook Fans of Recovery Month!

Recovery Month’s Facebook fan base continues to grow! Become a fan and connect with other Facebook members who support recovery and treatment. Learn about their events and efforts to promote recovery and treatment in their communities. You’ll also receive Recovery Month tips and updates. Read the Social Media Comment Policy here.

NCPIE Educational Materials for Parents To Talk to Teens About Prescription Drugs Are Now Available

The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), in partnership with SAMHSA, recently completed the development and distribution of a comprehensive range of educational and outreach messages encouraging parents to talk to their teens about preventing prescription medicine abuse. View the brochures here and learn how to order them.

Order Your Recovery Month Publications!

All Recovery Month 2009 materials are available for order by calling 1-800-729-6686 or by going to Publications and Ordering. Download and order yours today!

Submit Your Press Releases, News, Studies, Reports, and Other Information

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

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.