New York Conference Honors Addiction Recovery Month

**MEDIA ADVISORY**

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced that the agency will sponsor New York's first conference committed solely to recovery. The conference is being held from September 14 -15 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Albany and is being co-sponsored by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Governor David A. Paterson proclaimed September as Recovery Month in New York State, calling upon the people of New York to support this year's theme: "NYS Voices of Recovery: Real People, Real Stories."

The lineup of Conference activities in recognition of Recovery Month will include:

Dr. Westley Clark, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, SAMHSA. Dr. Clark will serve as a keynote speaker and will address the Conference on September 14, 11:45am.

Stories of Recovery Campaign: Raising awareness and understanding by highlighting the stories of 10 New Yorkers who are living in recovery. A badge of honor will be presented to these individuals. OASAS will also launch an on-line submission service for anyone in recovery who wishes to share their story on the agency Web site. The campaign will kickoff at the Conference on September 14, 11:00am.

5th Annual Recovery Fine Arts Festival: The festival showcases the achievement of artistic expression by persons in recovery and celebrates the benefits of recovery for individuals, families and communities. Artwork is on display at the Empire State Plaza Concourse in Albany. Artists are residents of New York and self-identified as in recovery. The Awards Dinner, displaying the winning art pieces, will be on September 14, 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

Annual Addictions Professionals Day: OASAS will honor the recipients of the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) of the Year, CASAC Trainee of the Year and Credentialed Prevention Professional/Credentialed Prevention Specialist of the Year Awards will be held September 15, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm.

OASAS emphasizes a back-to-basic strategy of prevention, treatment and recovery and is focused on strengthening the network of recovery services in New York. During 2007, two Recovery Forums gathered more than 650 advocates who determined how to best move forward and gain a better understanding of the recovery issues in New York.

Note to Editors and Producers: For TV media planning to attend, please call Dianne Henk or Jennifer Farrell at (518) 457-8299 for more information.

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