Providence, RI, September 11, 2010, 2-7 PM, Roger Williams Memorial National Park, N. Main St. (Corner of Canal St. and Park Row) – The largest recovery event in RI history will be held in Providence, RI and sponsored by The Department of BHDDH and the RI Recovery Month Coalition, the A & E Network, Gateway Healthcare, Phoenix House, The Providence Center, Seven Hills Behavioral Health and the Homestead Group, with the support of the National Guard and Wounded Warrior Family Support to raise awareness of substance use disorders by promoting positive ways of combating stress, encouraging a healthy lifestyle, and informing our community about the available treatment and recovery resources. Many people who endure prolonged high levels of stress can develop substance use disorders, especially people in the military, the workforce, older adults, and families.
Rally for Recovery will be held as part of a national initiative known as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse (CSAT)-- www.samhsa.gov/, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-- www.hhs.gov/. This year marks the 21st annual celebration of Recovery Month, which honors people in recovery from substance use disorders, as well as those who provide treatment and recovery services, and promotes the need for treatment access and long-term recovery.
According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and Craig Stenning, Director at BHDDH, who will speak at Rally for Recovery, “23.1 million people in the United States have been classified with substance use disorders in the past year, and according to the same survey during 2007-2008, an estimated 92,000 people in Rhode Island alone have been affected by dependence on or abuse of alcohol or other drugs.”
Rally for Recovery will be held to commemorate this year’s Recovery Month theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Now More Than Ever!,” with the goal of reaching groups who may be susceptible to alcohol and/or drug use and relapse during times of stress. Jim Gillen, clinician at the Providence Center and member of the rally’s Planning Committee said, “We welcome Wounded Warrior Family Support that will share their wonderful program with RI in support of our military families here at home.” www.woundedwarriorfamilysupport.org.
We expect an attendance of upwards of 3,000 community members. Over fifty organizations from across Rhode Island will set up information tables to help us share the message of hope that recovery is possible. This rally will bring together diverse segments of the recovery community--individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions, the mental health and developmental disabilities communities, behavioral health treatment providers, family members, friends and advocates of recovery, and our partners in government - to celebrate the commitment we all share to the recovery movement.
One of our keynote speakers will be Gil Kerlikowske who is the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) who was sworn in on May 7, 2009, as the Nation's sixth "Drug Czar.” He joins a growing list of impressive speakers. Other officials who will be speaking include Gov. Donald Carcieri, Lt. Gov Elizabeth Roberts, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, and Cranston Mayor Alan Fung. A & E Recovery Project 2010 RI Recovery Delegate Carrie Blake and 2009 MA Recovery Delegate Elizabeth Rodriguez will also share their recovery experiences with us.
This year for the first time we will also have participation from the National Guard and be able to honor those who have served our country so bravely. And what great festival would be complete without lively music and a lot of food! There will be great activities for the kids including arts & crafts, face painting, a reptile show, toys & balloons, and more.
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is celebrated each September in communities across the country to help people recognize that substance use disorders are treatable and recovery is possible. Treatment and other recovery support programs are as effective as treatment for other chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease – yet nationally, only 10 percent of Americans who need treatment for substance use disorders actually receive it, according to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Recovery Month encourages people affected by addiction to seek treatment and recovery services so they can reclaim healthy and productive lives in their community.