New York Honors Addiction Recovery Month

ALBANY, NY (09/02/2008)(readMedia)-- New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced a series of events to celebrate New York State's Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, honoring the millions of New Yorkers who have triumphed over the chronic disease of addiction.

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."

"Every day we celebrate recovery of the millions of New Yorkers from alcohol, drug or gambling addiction," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "In September, we want to support New York's Recovery Movement, reduce stigma and offer the hope of treatment to the 2.5 million New Yorkers who are dealing with drug, alcohol or gambling addiction."

In September a number of celebratory events will be sponsored by OASAS, including the first-ever Recovery Conference in New York State, a Recovery Arts Festival and a Recovery Run.

"We know that recovery really needs to be defined more fully, as not simply abstinence from a substance, but a lifestyle, free from addiction, that is also based on wellness and healthy choices," Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo said. "Living in recovery also includes having the medical needs met, social support for a substance-free lifestyle, employment and housing."

The NYS Voices of Recovery: Real People, Real Stories Conference will feature Dr. Westley Clark, director of the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The September 14-15 conference will also launch the OASAS Stories of Recovery campaign, raising awareness and understanding by highlighting the stories of 12 New Yorkers who are living in recovery. OASAS will also launch an on-line submission service for anyone in recovery who wishes to share their story on the agency Web site.

There are recovery events being held statewide and nationally throughout the month, including a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge sponsored by A&E Television in partnership with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence on Sept. 27 and the Run for Your Life 5K Race at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island on Sept. 28, which Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo will attend.

The lineup of OASAS September's Recovery Month activities include:

• 5^th Annual Recovery Fine Arts Festival: The festival showcases the achievement of artistic expression by person in recovery and celebrates the benefits of recovery for individuals, families and communities. Artwork will be on display at the Empire State Plaza Concourse in Albany. Artists are residents of New York and self identified as in recovery.

• Recovery Conference: OASAS is proud to 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. The two-day event is certain to be informative and inspiring; featuring nationally known speakers including Dr. Westley Clark, Director, among other leaders., Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, SAMHSA. Individuals living in recovery, their families, recovery advocates and service providers are encouraged to attend.

• 5^th Annual Run for Recovery: This two-mile relay race is for runners and walkers. It is held on August 16 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. Individuals in recovery, advocates, service providers and New York State agencies are invited to register a team of four people to participate. Those who can't join a team to run or walk are encouraged to join us as a spectator to support the 1,000 runners and walkers.

• Stories of Recovery Campaign: OASAS will launch its Stories of Recovery Campaign at the September Conference where we will highlight stories of recovery from individuals who want to publicly share their story.

• 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 at our annual event being held at the Crowne Plaza in Albany on September 15.

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.

Major issues identified are parenting/family support, health, housing and educational and vocational skills development for those in recovery. OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services programs, with 1,550 prevention and treatment providers which serve 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day.

For further information about the all OASAS Recovery Month events, go to the OASAS Website, www.oasas.state.ny.us. For information or assistance with an alcohol or substance abuse problem, in New York call the addictions helpline at 1-800-522-5353. For help with a gambling problem call 1-800-437-1611 or go to the OASAS Web Site at www.oasas.state.ny.us.