Desire for Happy Destinies
I am writing this on my natal birthday. I arrived 88 years ago. The road of life provided a rewarding and satisfying journey. That is, until I found myself on dangerous and lonely roads. I tried finding direction using alcohol—my only drug of choice. Instead it fueled chaos and consequence. I needed a new road and new direction. I first…
Read MoreWomen’s Recovery Voices: an interview with Florence Hilliard
About the Series Women’s Recovery Voices was initiated to enhance the visibility of women in recovery and their stories. We will be conducting interviews of national women leaders in the recovery movement. Sharing their stories to inspire those in or seeking recovery and to increase awareness for women’s recovery advocacy. There are over 23 million…
Read MoreGrant Me the Wisdom
For those who believe in the power of prayer, the Serenity Prayer, in its simplicity, serves very well. As we begin a new year and new decade, focus on four of its words: accept, courage, change, and wisdom, with emphasis on wisdom. Wisdom has many definitions, accumulating learning being one. I have often stated what…
Read More“Peerness” is Important
My title for this blog came to me when recalling a presentation by Tom Hill several years ago at an Association of Recovery Community Organizations (ARCO) conference. Tom served for four years as Director of Programs at Faces & Voices of Recovery. It was my early introduction to the vital and emerging role of peers…
Read MoreComprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2019
This week Faces & Voices of Recovery sends our formal support to the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2019, which would provide $100 billion in federal funding over the next ten years to support federal research and programs, including the adoption of evidence-based, nationally recognized level-of-care standards for addiction treatment. Faces & Voices,…
Read MoreThe Medication Access & Training Expansion Act (MATE) and what you need to know!
The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, aims to ensure all Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controlled substance prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to prevent, identify, treat, and manage patients with substance use disorder (SUD). The MATE Act would address a critical need for training in addiction medicine that is severely lacking. Today,…
Read MoreWhat is your candidate’s stance on Mental Health & Addiction?
We all have the right to choose a candidate that we believe in, but sometimes we aren’t sure if their ideals align with ours. The group Mental Health for US sent out a survey to all candidates to see what their stance was on issues relating to Mental Health and Addiction. Check out their responses…
Read MoreServant leadership
“A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.” Mollie Marti Servant leadership is a model of leadership that focuses on the growth and well-being of the communities that are served. The servant leader shares power, puts others’ needs first, and helps the development and…
Read MoreKey Harm Reduction Strategies
Harm reduction isn’t explicitly a pathway of recovery — although some do identify that way — it is however, a health strategy aimed toward reducing the harm associated with drug use. One of the most established organizations that advocates for harm reduction is the Harm Reduction Coalition, formed in 1993 by a working group of…
Read MoreThe Power of Story—in Song
My previous blog, titled The Power of Story came from an idea from reading John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. He wrote about storytellers and their importance to some semblance of well being in the California camps and the gatherings during the depression, drought, and dust bowls— the “dirty thirties.” He wrote: “And it came about in the camps that the storyteller grew into being, so that the people gathered in the low firelight to…
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