While it’s only October, planning for Stand Up For Recovery Day is already underway. On March 6, 2018, we will once again come together at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany and present our policy statement to decision makers representing all corners of the State.
You can review the 2017 Policy Statement here.
As many of you will remember, last year’s Stand Up for Recovery Day event was a huge success, bringing together more than seven hundred recovery advocates from Bridgehampton to Buffalo.
Through our combined efforts during 2017’s’s budget negotiations, $42 million in additional funding was added to the State budget and earmarked for OASAS. That funding has been used to improve prevention, treatment and recovery services in communities throughout New York.
As we know, the rate of overdose-related fatalities continues to climb. Clearly, more must be done to address this public health epidemic because as we also know, with the right supports in place, recovery is achievable, sustainable and powerful. In order to understand the most pressing needs across the State, we need to hear from you! We need your voice and your concerns reflected in our policy! Toward that end, we have developed the FOR-NY Life in Recovery Survey to gather and compile your input and help to shape the policy needs we will communicate to decision makers in Albany in 2018. Please take a few minutes to make sure your voice is included by completing and submitting this online and anonymous survey today. And, please also share the link with your networks and encourage them to take the survey as well.
You can also identify the policy needs of your community by hosting or participating in a Recovery Talks: Community Listening Forum. The most recent forum was held in Dutchess County on September 21, 2017 and attracted more than 100 community members. Policy makers from government, hospitals, schools and other community leaders were present to listen to our speakers share their stories of addiction, recovery and loss, and to highlight the various barriers and challenges they faced in trying to achieve and sustain recovery for themselves or a loved one. Speakers included individuals in recovery, family and friends of people in recovery, as well as family and friends of those who lost their lives as a result of their addiction, and allies of the recovery movement. FOR-NY is continuing to work with local recovery community organizations to co-host these forums throughout the state. Our next Recovery Talk Community Listening Forum is scheduled for November 2, 2017 in Columbia County. The information gathered at the Recovery Talks: Community Listening Forums will be compiled into a report to be shared with decision-makers.
A third way to assist in shaping our policy is by attending one of our bi-monthly Community Based Recovery Supports (CBRS) Teleconferences. The October meeting (at which we began to brainstorm next year’s policy statement) was held on October 11, 2017 and was attended by recovery allies from across the state who came together via teleconferences set up in Albany, Rochester and New York City. The next CBRS meeting is scheduled to take place on January 18, 2018. We hope you’ll consider joining us at will what will be our final meeting before Stand Up for Recovery Day 2018.
We need our decision makers to know and understand the issues most impacting our community and our recommendations to address this public health epidemic.
The most important thing we can do right now as a community is take the Life in Recovery Survey. The data matters. Information matters! Please spread the word!
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on Stand Up for Recovery Day on March 6, 2018. Additional information about the event will follow shortly.
Thank you for your continued help and support fellow Recovery Warriors! Please contact our Policy Director, Allison Weingarten at [email protected] or 518-487-4395 Ext. 22 with any questions.