Posts by Phil Rutherford
Reflections on the Recovery Leadership Summit: Supporting Freedom from Addiction
Monty Burks, MCJ, PhD, CPRS, Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, wanted to share his insights and experiences at the Faces…
Read MoreEmpowering Recovery Advocates: Lessons Learned from the Recovery Leadership Summit and Hill Day
Considering Diverse Experiences and Recovery Capital The Recovery Leadership Summit and Hill Day served as a powerful reinforcement of our collective belief that addiction is not a distant problem—it directly…
Read MoreInforming and Empowering the Recovery Collective
Shared purpose: ending the stigma and saving lives In our collective pursuit, the one common goal that unites persons in recovery and Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) is the desire to…
Read MoreThe 2001 & 2021 Recovery Summits
A Historical Summit by: Bill White In 2001, more than 130 recovery advocates from more than 30 states gathered in Saint Paul, Minnesota at the invitation of the Johnson Institute’s…
Read MoreJuneteenth and Racial Equity at Faces & Voices
Faces & Voices of Recovery would like to acknowledge that, On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all enslaved people. Nearly two and a half…
Read MoreThis is Our Lane
When I was thinking about what to write for this blog, I went through a list of the usual suspects – the state of peer recovery, the role of Faces…
Read MoreMama’s in Recovery: Alannah’s Story
For Alannah, it can be difficult getting to meetings but, “being able to talk to the girls makes me feel like I’m doing something for my recovery everyday”. As a stay at home mom, Alannah is learning to tend house and says that, “there is no other job I’d rather do, I love staying home with them”.
Read MoreA Rendezvous with Hope
Original Blog Date: May 30, 2014
Through my early tenure in the addictions field, the question of readiness for treatment and recovery was thought to be a pain quotient. We then believed that people didn’t enter recovery until they had “hit bottom.” If a person did not show evidence of such pain-induced readiness, they were often refused admission to treatment. Then we recognized that the reason it took people so long to “hit bottom” was that they were protected from the painful consequences of their alcohol and other drug use by people we called “enablers.” We then set about teaching enablers to stop rescuing and protecting their beloved but addicted family members.
Read MoreIn Others’ Words
In previous blogs I have suggested that when I’m at a loss for words— doesn’t happen often— I use the words of others. I am reading a book by friend and mentor, Johnny Allem, titled Say The Second Thing—That Comes Into Your Mind. This book is a “tool box” that supports the work and joy of recovery. I know that recovery support for self and others is not a job but requires work. In describing his early days, Johnny writes about the tools of work.
Read MoreRelax and Recognize Stress Awareness Month
This month aims to increase awareness about stress, its negative effects and how to relieve it. If you’re experiencing stress, keep these ideas in mind for how to relax.
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