September is Recovery Month: Join the Voices for Recovery

September is National Recovery Month, a time to collectively promote and support recovery from mental and substance use disorders, to celebrate people and families in recovery, and to laud the contributions of treatment and service providers.

TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities) invites you to join us at one of the following Recovery Month events, or find other events near you in communities across the country.

Saturday, Sept. 8, 11AM- 4PM:  Outside the Walls: A Day of Family Unity and Community Reconciliation

• Sponsored by the Winners’ Circle, this is a day of family unity and community reconciliation featuring Gospel Music (Hope House Men’s Choir, Serenity Drum Corps, First Holy Choir, New Mt. Moriah Choir, and many more); inspirational and motivational speeches by religious and civic leaders; gift bags with CDs, books, tapes, faith-based inspiration and more; school supplies for children; commemorative t-shirts; HIV/AIDS screenings and testing, and more.

Wed-Thu, Sept. 12-13:  Illinois Specialty Courts Conference

• The Illinois Association of Drug Court Professionals (IADCP) and Mental Health Court Association of Illinois (MHCAI) have traditionally held two separate annual conferences. These associations are merging their annual conferences for 2012.

Saturday, Sept. 15, 11AM- 3PM:  Recovery Rally on the Rock

• The 4^th Annual Recovery on the Rock event will highlight and celebrate recovery efforts taking place throughout the Rockford area. The event will feature speakers, informational resources, and community festivities for an informative and fun afternoon.

Saturday, Sept. 22, 8AM- 1PM:  Governors State University Addiction Studies Alumni Club Walk for Recovery

• Governor State University’s Walk for Recovery will honor individuals recovering and seeking recovery, and will also celebrate the treatment and support providers committed to helping people and families affected by addiction.

Click here to see all September Recovery Month events in Illinois.  If you or someone you know needs help finding or sustaining recovery, please click here for information and links to resources.

National Recovery Month is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

 

Rockford Recovery Rally this Saturday, Sept. 24; Family Event Co-Sponsored by TASC and Remedies Renewing Lives

(Rockford, IL)  – Winnebago County residents and guests are invited to the third annual Recovery Rally on the Rock in downtown Rockford this Saturday, September 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The free event is open to the public and will take place at the Trolley Station on N. Madison Street on the banks of the Rock River.

Co-sponsored by Remedies Renewing Lives and TASC, Inc. (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities), the rally will celebrate recovery from alcohol and drug addiction while raising awareness of substance use disorders, promoting positive ways of combating stress, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and providing information about available treatment and recovery resources.

The Recovery Rally on the Rock is held as a part of a national initiative known as National Recovery Month, initiated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This September marks the 22nd annual Recovery Month, during which groups and events across the country honor people and families in recovery from substance use disorders, as well as those who provide treatment and recovery support services.

The rally is a family-friendly opportunity to share positive ways to cope with stress, highlight the benefits of treatment, and encourage friends, colleagues, and family members to begin or celebrate their journeys of recovery.  A wide range of community resources for recovery will be available. 

Additional sponsors of this year’s Recovery Rally on the Rock include Culver’s, the Rockford Park District, and Heartland Community Church’s Celebrate Recovery program.

Cheryl Piper of Remedies Renewing Lives and Kate Craig of TASC were invited to speak about the event on WREX-TV in Rockford. Their interview can be seen here.

For more information about Remedies Renewing Lives, TASC or Recovery Rally on the Rock, please contact Kate Craig at 815-965-1106 or email katebcraig@yahoo.com.

Op-ed in The Southern: Recovery Can Be a Benefit to Everyone

(Carbondale, IL) – In observance of National Recovery Month, TASC Administrator Colleen Flanagan wrote the following op-ed for The Southern Illinoisan:

Traditionally, we tend to view individuals who have conquered cancer and physical injuries as heroes and openly celebrate their healing and contributions. We are not, however, as apt to celebrate those in our midst who have gained recovery from addiction because of the stigma.

We can shout out how wonderful it is that a loved one has survived cancer, but we often cannot shout out that a loved one is not drinking or using drugs anymore.

The shame of alcoholism and addiction continues to be a barrier to celebrating our own recovery and that of our loved ones, and this is what Recovery Month events and literature intend to change.

Please read full op-ed here.

—-

Colleen Flanagan oversees TASC’s services in 21 counties in Southern Illinois. She has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a member of the Southern Illinois Behavioral Health Team.

About Recovery Month:  Every September, people throughout the nation celebrate the annual National Recovery Month:  Prevention Works, Treatment is Effective, People Recover observance, a national initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).

To learn about Recovery Month events in your area, or to post an event, please click here.

September is National Recovery Month

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

 

Observed annually each September, Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of treatment for substance use and mental disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. 

 

This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Recovery Benefits Everyone,” emphasizes provisions within the Affordable Care Act and Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act (MHPAEA) aimed to improve physical and emotional health while ensuring people will receive the care they need at a more reasonable cost.

 

To find out about Recovery Month events in your area, or to post an event, please visit:
http://www.recoverymonth.gov/Community-Events.aspx

 

TASC has been a National Recovery Month planning partner since 1999.

Congressman Danny Davis hosts Recovery Walk

U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL)

(Chicago, IL) – September 23, 2010.  Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL) will host his annual Walk for Recovery and Town Hall Discussion on Saturday, September 25 beginning at 9:00 AM. The public is invited to participate in the walk, which will depart from the Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. in Chicago.

Recovery Month, observed each September, offers an opportunity to celebrate the effectiveness of addiction treatment and the reality of recovery. It is estimated that anywhere from 20 to 40 million people in the United States are in recovery from addiction, meaning that they no longer use alcohol or other drugs.

TASC is a national Recovery Month planning partner. To learn about Recovery Month events in your area, please visit
http://www.recoverymonth.gov/Community-Events.aspx
.