Hazelden Betty Ford to amplify hope throughout National Recovery Month

Center City, Minn. (August 30, 2022) – September is National Recovery Month, and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation joins others around the country in educating the public about recovery from substance use and mental health disorders and the harms of stigma and discrimination; advocating for those we serve and for access to the care they deserve; and celebrating the millions living in recovery today. To mark Recovery Month in 2022, Hazelden Betty Ford is offering a number of special webinars, podcasts, helpful resources and opportunities to engage public policymakers and each other.

"Recovery Month is a great opportunity to lift up and amplify stories of healing and hope collectively across the nation," said Kim Albers, director of recovery management at Hazelden Betty Ford, the nation's largest nonprofit system of addiction treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services. "In this difficult and uncertain time, it's more important than ever to celebrate and share the reality of recovery so that people struggling might catch a glimpse of what's possible."

"Our vision at Hazelden Betty Ford is to empower recovery and well-being for all, and that's what Recovery Month is all about," added Jeremiah Gardner, former director of public affairs at Hazelden Betty Ford. "By confronting stigma with science, love and the wisdom of lived experience, we can inspire transformative change within families, institutions and society."

Here are some highlights of Hazelden Betty Ford's Recovery Month plans:

SOBER TAILGATE PARTY IN ST. PAUL, MINN.

On Sunday, Sept. 11, Hazelden Betty Ford will host a free, sober, outdoor tailgate party and welcome the Mobilize Recovery Across America 2022 tour bus as it navigates its way through the U.S. during National Recovery Month. Open to the public, the festive event on professional football's opening weekend will celebrate recovery and one of the country's great sports rivalries—the Minnesota Vikings v. the Green Bay Packers—and will include many community partners and special guests.

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY EVENTS

Hazelden Betty Ford and the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies are sponsoring Minnesota Recovery Connection's Walk for Recovery (Kerry Brockberg, PhD, and Hazelden Betty Ford's Dustin Brockberg, PhD, will be among featured speakers, and complimentary copies of Hazelden Publishing's new meditation book Leave No One Behind will be distributed) and the Oregon Recovers' Walk for Recovery. Both events will lift up recovery voices and help the public and policymakers see that recovery is not only possible—it's everywhere. Additionally, a free screening of the new documentary Tipping the Pain Scale, in partnership with Turning Point of Tampa, will inform and galvanize action for those still seeking recovery. The Faces and Voices of Recovery National Summit and Recovery Gala will cap the month on Oct. 2-5.

LIVE WEBINARS

8/31, 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. CDT – Advancing Overdose Awareness and Prevention Let's Talk professional webinars

International Overdose Awareness Day, observed annually on August 31, represents the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose. Communities around the globe mark the day with events aimed at raising awareness about overdose, reducing the stigma of drug-related death, and advancing evidence-based strategies and practices such as the use of naloxone. Join pharmacist, trainer and technical consultant Kerry Hettinger, PharmD, RPh, and Hazelden Betty Ford's psychiatrist Stephen Delisi, MD, to review the history and use of naloxone to reverse the effects of opioid overdose and discuss the vital role all members of the health care team can play in increasing awareness and availability of this lifesaving medication.

9/8, 11 a.m. CDT – Expressions of Service: The Gifts of Self, Sensitivity and Responsiveness

Elizabeth Bishop, author of the new book Conscious Service, will gently guide people to understand how to best serve others without abandoning their own needs and recovery.

9/30, 2 p.m. CDT – Mobilize Recovery Virtual Experience: "Treatment Access and Outcomes" Panel Event

Hazelden Betty Ford President and CEO Joseph Lee, MD, will join Caron Treatment Centers President and CEO Brad Sorte and Friendly House Executive Director Christina Simos in an online discussion facilitated by Annie Peters, PhD, director of research and education for the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Their panel on treatment barriers, evolutions in care, the importance of outcomes data and the future of behavioral health will be part of the national, three-day Mobilize Recovery Virtual Experience.

POLICYMAKER DISCUSSIONS

9/11, 11 a.m. CDT – Heroes, Helpers & Hope: Sustaining an Emergency Response to America's Addiction Crisis

On Sept. 11, as we remember the victims of 9/11 and honor the heroes who answered the urgent call for help on that fateful day, public health experts and elected officials—including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey—will also call attention to America's overdose epidemic and addiction crisis. Once again, first responders—including police, firefighters, paramedics and EMTs—are among those on the front lines, helping people in crisis while facing trauma and behavioral health risks of their own. This discussion hosted by Hazelden Betty Ford and Minneapolis Fire Station 14 as part of Mobilize Recovery Across America 2022 will explore a promising collaboration between first responders and peer recovery professionals, as well as many other topics. It will be livestreamed on Hazelden Betty Ford's Facebook page.

RECOVERY RETREATS

After a pandemic hiatus, Hazelden Betty Ford's in-person weekend retreats are back, including the Oregon Coastal Retreat in Newport, Ore., and a Wellness Retreat for Health Care Professionals at Hazelden Betty Ford's Renewal Center in Minnesota. Also back for Recovery Month: treatment center unit reunions, which bring together people with shared recovery experiences to find inspiration and fellowship.

PODCASTS

Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery: Hazelden Betty Ford's award-winning, William C. Moyers-hosted interview series includes dozens of recovery-oriented episodes, including one for employers on supporting recovery in the workplace, and will feature the following Recovery Month releases:

• Sept. 7: Story of Hope – Mike H
• Sept. 14: Crash Course for Parents – A Father's Story of Hope and Healing – Stephen D.
• Sept. 21: Children's Program Story of Hope – Jessica, Emi, Lina and Robby Bruza

Recovery Road: This series featuring thoughts, excerpts and reflections from popular Hazelden Publishing authors and books will include eight new episodes, every Monday and Thursday, during Recovery Month. These brief nuggets of wisdom will cover everything from the brain science of addiction to overcoming anger and resentments during the pandemic.

ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Hazelden Betty Ford's Living in Recovery Speaker Series unites recovery speakers from across the country in order to share hope and a collective set of strategies and expertise. The webinars include tips for staying sober and living meaningful lives in physical, mental and spiritual recovery.

MOBILE APPS & RESOURCES

Throughout Recovery Month, people everywhere can download several free and helpful recovery apps from Hazelden Publishing, including the popular daily meditation app, Twenty-Four Hours A Day. Other free support resources are also available to support people during Recovery Month and beyond.

STAYING ENGAGED

Hazelden Betty Ford publishes a weekly Living in Recovery email newsletter highlighting recovery resources and events, as well as a free, monthly Advocacy Update featuring news, views and engagement opportunities on a range of topics important to people and families affected by substance use disorders and recovery. Additionally, the organization offers experts to speak about recovery in the workplace.