NCJ Number
210062
Date Published
2005
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video cassette presents a panel discussion on the substance abuse recovery movement.
Abstract
Four panelists are brought together to discuss the recovery from alcohol and other substances and to bring awareness to the fact that substance abuse problems are a medical disease that is highly treatable. Panel members are John de Miranda, Executive Director of the National Association on Alcohol, Drugs, and Disability, Inc; Samantha Hope Atkins, founder of Hope Networks, We Recover; Pat Taylor, Campaign Coordinator for Faces and Voices of Recovery; and Deirdre Drohan Forbes, board member of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. The panel describes the emergence of the recovery movement, as well as current trends and developments. The recovery movement began as a formal structure with the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. The current recovery movement is referred to as the “new recovery advocacy movement” and its main goal is to address the barriers facing individuals in recovery in terms of societal stigmatization and discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act is described as protecting the rights of those in recovery and the problem of insurance discrimination is illustrated. Successes in the recovery movement at the State and Federal levels are discussed, including the Heart Act of 2003, and the remaining challenges are described, which include a lack of widespread education regarding the rights of those suffering from substance abuse addictions. The panel closes with a discussion of how the recovery movement is reaching out to so-called fringe groups, such as youth and elderly individuals with substance abuse problems. Many resources are included throughout the video, including helpful agencies and their Web site addresses.