F E A T U R E D I T E M S
Walk for Recovery 3-Mile Walk
This event is being held to help raise awareness and funding for St. Louis programs assisting individuals and families in recovery from an addiction and/or mental illness.
Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, Missouri
8:00 a.m. - noon
Assist MRN in our advocacy efforts by either joining our team or donating to our cause. The money collected will go towards statewide efforts to reduce stigma, broaden the social understanding about addiction and recovery, and reduce barriers to and support recovery, and help shape public attitudes, policies and opportunities for those in recovery and seeking recovery from an alcohol or drug addiction.
The Walk for Recovery will also include a post-walk festival featuring resource booths, refreshments, family entertainment, and a nationally known speaker. For more information and to Register for this event, visit Walk for Recovery.
September is the 20th Anniversary of
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
This Year's Theme
"Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal."
Materials are available on the SAMHSA's Recovery Month website
Click here to view the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Flyer
Advocacy In Action: How to Contact Your Legislators
Find Your State Representative
Find Your State Senator
Missouri State Senate House District Map
Missouri State Senate Senatorial District Map
To contact Missouri Governor, Jay Nixon,
regarding your comments and concerns click here
The Missouri Department of Mental Health
Real Voices-Real Choices: Expanding Our Vision
(Missouri Consumer, Family and Youth Leadership Conference)
August 23-25, 2009
Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, Missouri
Information about the conference and a call for presenters can be obtained at the following website: http://www.dmh.mo.gov/diroffice/consaff/ConsumerConference.htm
MRN Scholarships Now Available!
Free Registration and Accommodations to Attend the Missouri Consumer, Family and Youth Leadership Conference
The Missouri Department of Mental Health has planned a three-day conference that specifically addresses the needs of persons either at risk of developing, or having mental illnesses, substance use and addictive disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. The DMH has taken a vested interest in how consumers and family members can help create a better mental health system by involving them in creating a system that fully meets the consumers' needs.
Any consumer or family member of someone who has received alcohol and/or drug abuse services may apply. Members of the Missouri Recovery Network will receive first priority. If you are not currently a member and would like to complete a membership/consent form click here. Membership is free. The scholarship will pay for an individual's registration fee of $65. All meals and lodging are already included in this fee. Recipients will be responsible for their own transportation and any incidental expenses charged to their room.
To obtain a copy of the registration form click here.
Scholarship applicants must fax registration form to the Missouri Recovery Network 573-635-7257, e-mail to bfrank@actmissouri.org or mail to Missouri Recovery Network, 428 East Capitol Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
Do not send completed registration forms to the Missouri Department of Mental Health if you are requesting a scholarship. Registration must be received and reviewed by the Missouri Recovery Network for approval.
The deadline for scholarship registration is Friday, June 26th. Registrations received after this date will not be accepted. You will be notified of your application status by July 15th.
Missouri Recovery Support Specialist Credential Now Available
The Missouri Substance Abuse Professional Credentialing Board is excited to now offer a credential for those individuals working in recovery support services. On October 18, 2008, the Missouri Recovery Support Specialist (MRSS) credential became available. This credential is designed to recognize the expertise of faith based and other individuals who have been providing recovery support services throughout Missouri. To apply for this credential, an individual must meet the following requirements:
1. Hold a minimum of a High School Diploma/GED
2. Have a 1000 hours of work/volunteer experience in the 2 MRSS domains
3. Completed the CCFC Basic Addiction Academy or completed the Foundations of Substance Use, Abuse, & Dependence training and 20 additional hours of substance abuse education
4. Completed 6 hours of a substance abuse ethics training
5. Letter of recommendation from a qualified individual
The 2 MRSS domains are Recovery Mentoring/Coaching and Recovery Support Services. The various tasks under these domains include serve as a role model of a consumer in recovery; establish and maintain a peer relationship; teach life skills; assure consumers know their rights and responsibilities; teach consumers how to self advocate; help consumer identify options to achieve recovery goals; help the consumer develop problem solving skills; help consumer access services of substance abuse professionals when needed; and help consumer identify their strengths.
The MRSS application packet and complete details can be found at www.msapcb.com under the applications link.
New Website Offers Tools to Assess and Address Drinking Risks
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created a new website called "Rethinking Drinking," designed to help users define their drinking patterns and develop strategies and options for dealing with alcohol-related problems. This new website is part of a broader effort to increase understanding of the array of alcohol-related disorders.
On-Line Social Networking for the Recovery Community
In the Rooms is the most comprehensive online social network for the recovery community worldwide. This network is to Help, Inform, Touch, Connect, and Heal (H.I.T.C.H.) those already in recovery, seeking recovery, and the family and friends supporting recovery.
The Partnership for Drug Free America has online recovery stories: Life After: Stories of Hope and Healing. This site was established to give a voice to the struggles of addiction and to celebrate the thousands of stories of hope and recovery that we know are out there. Whether you're battling addiction yourself or are supporting someone else on their path toward recovery, we encourage you to read these stories of hope and share your story. Through real stories from real people, we can help shine a light on the realities of substance abuse. We can also provide an honest look at the challenges of recovery from addiction, while showing that life after addiction, is indeed, possible and real. Please share this site with others.
Victory on Parity Legislation! A Triumph for Consumers and Families
On October 3, 2008, Congress approved the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the President immediately signed it into law.
This victory ends a nearly 20 year effort to require group health plans to cover treatment for addictions and mental illness on the same terms and conditions as all other illnesses. MRN is extremely grateful for the diligent work of Missouri advocates that contacted their elected officials to push for this landmark legislation. The advocacy voice of individuals in recovery and their families made a tremendous difference in securing this long sought victory.
MRN again thanks you and congratulations you!
The Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, releases
The Burden of Substance Abuse on the State of Missouri
This document can be used as a valuable advocacy tool when talking with your elected officials on the impact substance abuse has on our state government.
Summary of Missouri State Spending on Substance Abuse and Addiction
The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State, and Local Budgets
DMH Seeks Mental Health Champions for 2010
The Department of Mental Health is seeking nominations for Mental Health Champions in 2010. The selection committee will be looking for examples of how individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse problems have overcome their challenges and whose actions and accomplishments exemplify commitment and courage in an effort to make life better for themselves and others in their communities.
The MRN would like to congratulate Regina McKinney, Life Skills Coordinator and Case Manager at the Friendship House in Kansas City, for winning the Mental Health Champion in the area of Substance Addiction this year. Today Regina’s job and life’s mission is to help other women who are currently battling the same addictions that she knows all too well. She believes strongly in sharing her story of recovery with others and she is passionate about “passing it on” to others.
There are many others out there in recovery who are an inspiration to others. They are doing exceptional things while overcoming their addiction.
The MRN encourages you to nominate an individual in recovery who inspires you and others. For more information on the nomination process, visit the DMH website. The deadline for submission of nomination forms is October 30, 2009.
State Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
The State Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse is accepting applications for board members. The Council serves as an advisory body to the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ADA) and the division director on policy, prevention and treatment activities in the state of Missouri. If you are interested in making change happen, please complete an application and return to the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
ADA State Advisory Council Brochure
ADA State Advisory Council Membership Form
Recovery Voices Count
FAVOR, Faces and Voices of Recovery, a national recovery advocacy organization, has chosen and invited MRN to participate in a special Recovery Voices Count 10 State Project Campaign. This project, Recovery Voices Count, was developed to assist the growing numbers of recovery community organizations and recovery advocates across the country to get involved in nonpartisan voting activities so their voices can be heard at the local, state, and national levels. MRN encourages everyone who is eligible to vote to register, and if already registered, to get out and vote on November 4th! To find out more or to register to vote on-line, click here.
View sample questions to ask elected candidates.
Missouri Primary Winner Candidates that responded to the Candidate Pledge
Missouri Primary Winner Candidates that did not respond to the Candidate Pledge
Faces and Voices of Recovery releases Recovery Bill of Rights
click here to view
SAMHSA Announces New Website
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the launch of a website dedicated to the advancement of prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use and mental health disorders.
The Partners for Recovery (PFR) website features news and documents on recovery, collaboration, stigma reduction, workforce development and leadership development.
The website also invites individuals, organizations and states working on recovery, stigma reduction, workforce development and leadership development issues in addiction prevention, treatment and mental health to share information about these activities so they can be made available more broadly through the website.
Click here to view SAMHSA's Partners for Recovery website
Working Definition of Recovery
Definition of Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC)
