1 death every 7.5 minutes * 192 deaths every day* 72,000 deaths annually
Learn about advances in addiction treatment from national experts at “Building Communities of Recovery,” a conference organized by The Davis Direction Foundation.
The crisis personally affected Missy Owen, CEO and co-founder of the Davis Direction Foundation, and her husband Michael, who lost their 20-year-old son Davis to a heroin overdose in 2014. The “Building Communities of Recovery” National Conference & Expo is Missy’s brainchild. WellStar Health System is the co-host for this inaugural event.
During the three-day gathering, experts who have helped people recover from substance-abuse disorder will share their successes in four primary areas:
1) Health and wellness
2) Law and legal
3) Education
4) Faith-based/spiritual
Speakers will showcase examples of solutions-based recovery, with discussions centered on how and why the programs are working. Here are a few examples:
• Washington State’s “Starts with One” research-based social media campaign builds positive self-norms around safe use, storage and disposal of opioids.
• In Kentucky, Kenton Co. Detention Center takes a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to addiction and is experiencing a 71 percent reduction in recidivism.
• DISPOSE RX is a cost-effective safe disposal tool for prescription medication for home and office.
• Young Living Oils will be available for purchase; oils are utilized by many hospitals as a substitute for opioids.
• One activity, “Pick Your Pathway,” details the different recovery meeting methods, including: 12- step meetings, Self-Management & Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery, All Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, and Book Studies.
Among those addressing the conference will be Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, whose interests have long included transforming health care. Gingrich maintains, “The need for this conference has never been greater.”
At the banquet Friday evening, the foundation will recognize advocates, writers, and organizations that have made progress in addiction treatment and recovery. DDF board member Ryan Hampton will discuss “American Fix,” his new book on solutions to end the opioid epidemic.
According to the Surgeon General’s most recent report, more than 25 million people are in recovery in the United States. The Conference will provide educational opportunities to help recovering individuals maintain sobriety and be productive citizens.
About The Davis Direction Foundation
The Davis Direction Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight addiction and fuel recovery while
serving as the national model for “Building Communities of Recovery” in the midst of a national opioid/heroin epidemic.
The Davis Direction Foundation focuses on advocacy, education, harm reduction, prevention and recovery. BuildingCommunitiesofRecovery.org
