People Advocating Recovery

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People Advocating Recovery

• The First Year

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PAR

• People Advocating Recovery is a statewide group
  of individuals who are committed to supporting
  the rights of addicted individuals, their
  families, friends, and those who find the joy of
  recovery. PAR provides living proof that there
  are real solutions to alcoholism and other drug
  addictions in Kentucky.

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PARs Vision

• Society views drug addiction as a disease without
  shame, stigma, or discrimination.

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PARs Mission

• People Advocating Recovery is a statewide group
  of concerned individuals working to eliminate
  barriers to recovery from addiction.

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PAR Objectives from February 2, 2004 meeting with
Lt. Gov. Pence

• Involuntary treatment for adult substance abuse
• Recovery Community participation in drug control
  policy planning
• Medicaid support for inpatient and outpatient
  substance abuse treatment services
• Appropriate community-based treatment for drug
  offenders, including drug traffickers
• Ending employment discrimination against
  convicted felons, especially those convicted as a
  consequence of drug addiction
• Twelve step treatment approaches available to
  convicted drug and alcohol offenders in prisons
  and in the community
• Expansion of drug courts and community-based
  treatment, beyond case tracking, urine
  monitoring, and attendance at 12 step meetings.

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PAR Performance Report on Objectives

• PAR was an active voice in the 2004 General
  Assembly. On January 15, Stephanie Raglin, Hoot
  Ebert, and Charlotte Wethington gave courageous
  and compelling testimony to the House Health and
  Welfare Committee regarding the importance of
  addiction recovery. Through the tireless efforts
  of Charlotte Wethington, the Matthew Casey
  Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention
  was passed and went into effect July 13, 2004.
  The Act provides a procedure for involuntary
  treatment of persons suffering from alcoholism
  and other drug abuse modeled in part after the
  involuntary commitment procedures for the
  mentally ill. The petitioner must guarantee
  payment for the court ordered treatment.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• PAR members testified at many of the 16 regional
  drug summits designed to guide drug control
  policy in the Fletcher Administration. Members
  addressed issues of stigma, shame, and
  discrimination against addicts, family members,
  and individuals in recovery. Testimony from the
  public focused on issues related to enforcement,
  treatment, and prevention. PAR will work with
  Lt. Gov. Pence on the implementation of
  recommendations especially related to addressing
  the public health crisis with increased access to
  treatment and recovery.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• PAR members met with Dr. James Holsinger,
  Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family
  Services on February 2, 2004 and recommended the
  expansion of the Medicaid program to include
  treatment benefits for substance abuse. Sec.
  Holsinger was open to PARs suggestions however
  he pointed to a half billion dollar deficit and
  said no new benefits would be considered until
  there was revenue to support them. PAR plans to
  pursue this objective during the next General
  Assembly.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• PAR members met with Lt. Gov. Steve Pence on
  February 2, and explained the importance of
  appropriate substance abuse services for
  convicted offenders in prison and in the
  community. Lt. Gov. Pence pledged that he would
  work with staff in the Cabinet for Health and
  Family Services and the Justice Cabinet to fund
  additional community-based treatment and expand
  drug courts in Kentucky.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• House Bill 371 introduced by Rep. Rob Wilkey, set
  forth an Act to allow persons convicted of one
  Class D felony or a series of felonies arising
  from a single event to petition the court to have
  their record expunged. This measure passed the
  House but failed in the Senate. PAR plans to
  work with Rep. Wilkey and key leaders in the
  House and Senate to help passage in the next
  legislative session.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• Volunteers from the recovery community have been
  invited to establish a peer to peer recovery
  training program in Roederer Correctional
  Facility in LaGrange. This effort headed by Mike
  Barry, Angel Programs expects to teach Recovery
  Dynamics to hundreds of inmates during the next
  year. Trained peers will teach the recovery
  principles to other inmates.

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Performance Report (cont.)

• The current deadlock regarding the fiscal years
  2005-2006 budget has frozen any plans to expand
  drug courts. As soon as the Governor and the
  legislature agree to a Biennium Budget, the drug
  court expansion can proceed. PAR will continue
  to monitor this and other expansion requests
  contained in the Governors spending plan.

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PAR History

• PAR met for the first time on April 22, 2003. On
  July 7, three Co-Chairs were elected to the PAR
  Steering Committee Charlotte Wethington, Pat
  McKiernan, and Hugh Spalding. These Co-Chairs
  have served faithfully for the past 12 months.

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PAR History

• On September 3, Gov. Paul Patton signed a
  proclamation designating September 2003 as
  National Recovery Month in Kentucky.

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Gubernatorial Proclamation of Recovery Month 04
Governor Paul Patton with PAR members.
Approximately 50 people attended the Proclamation.
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PAR History

• On January 15, 2004, PAR hosted a Legislative
  Recovery Day, where PAR members met with local
  Senators and Representatives, informing them
  about the importance of recovery from addiction.

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Advocacy Day at the Capitol 04
Senator Gerald Neal (Louisville) with PAR members
Hugh Spalding, Charlotte Wethington, Todd
Reynolds, Pat McKiernan, Carl Boes, Jennifer
Stern, Lynn Posze, and Connie Duncan
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PAR History

• PAR established a website www.peopleadvocatingreco
  very.org through an anonymous gift. MWB Designs
  has created a wonderful site that facilitates
  communication among PAR members and links website
  visitors with numerous information sources and
  treatment resources.

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Future Events

• Kentucky has been designated by the Center on
  Substance Abuse Treatment as one of the states to
  receive technical assistance from
  Rivera-Sierra, Inc. (consultants under CSAT
  contract) to plan and implement activities during
  September 2004, National Recovery Month. PAR has
  been given the responsibility to initiate
  Recovery Month activities in accordance with the
  national campaign. PAR member Jennifer Stern has
  agreed to coordinate Kentuckys Recovery Rally on
  September 3 at the Capitol in Frankfort.

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Local Advocacy Groups

• Kick Alcohol Drug Dependency (KADD) was the first
  of the local advocacy organizations, forming in
  Mount Sterling. Cread Holland and his group of
  volunteers have mobilized the community and
  helped many struggling addicts and alcoholics
  find treatment and recovery.

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KADD in Eastern KY
New KADD headquarters in Powell County and some
of KADDs events
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Local Advocacy Groups

• Addiction Recovery Advocates of Kentuckiana
  (ARAK) was organized on June 27, 2002 by Dr.
  George Perkins in Louisville. ARAKs mission is
  to improve and expand the publics understanding
  of addiction and promote the power of recovery.
  Members have worked with Mike Barrys Angel
  Programs to train volunteers to visit hospital
  patients and their families who may need a
  treatment intervention. ARAK will host the
  Recovery Ambassador Workshop on September 18 at
  the Holiday Inn South in Louisville.

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Local Advocacy Groups

• Northern KY Residents Attacking Drugs (NKRAD) was
  established in April 2003. Under the leadership
  of Pam Kinney, RAD has organized numerous public
  speaking events and awareness opportunities,
  participated in legislative forums, and can be
  accessed at www.nkyrad.com. RAD will be
  represented at the local fairs, and during
  Recovery Month RAD will sponsor a drug prevention
  message on northern Kentucky TANK buses.
  Northern Kentucky PAR was the product of work
  begun at the Mental Health Association and
  Substance Abuse forum on 5/12/04 and is currently
  chaired by Mary Pat Behler. NKY PAR hopes to
  reduce the stigma and discrimination which
  influences every aspect of treatment and recovery
  and become a consumer run group which represents
  the recovery community of Northern Kentucky.

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The Reason RAD Exists
RAD is dedicated to the memories of these young
men from Northern Kentucky who died from drug
overdoses and is committed to aiding other people
with addiction find the help they need. The
Matthew Casey Wethington Act for involuntary
treatment of addiction is named in Caseys
(center) honor.
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Local Advocacy Groups

• Western Kentucky PAR was established in 2004 by
  Phyllis Teeters to mobilize the Paducah area
  around the issues of stigma reduction and
  recovery advocacy. Many volunteers have raised
  funds to support expansion of advocacy in Western
  Kentucky.

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Local Advocacy Groups

• Bluegrass PAR was established in 2004 by
  Stephanie Raglin and several other volunteers.
  They wish to see advocacy for recovery expand in
  the central area of Kentucky and beyond. BG PAR
  is currently planning a Recovery Month music
  celebration in Triangle Park in Lexington on
  September 4, 2004.

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Bluegrass Recovery Month Celebration 03