A two-part movement for recovery advocacy will take place Saturday, March 21, in Health and Human Services Building Room 1711 on The University of Toledo’s Main Campus.
“This event is the first of its kind in Toledo,” said Jacob Spellis, event co-facilitator and UT senior majoring in social work. “We want to bring the community together to reduce the stigma of substance abuse recovery.”
The event will be separated into two sections, with part one taking place from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a lunch and discussion, and part two taking place from 1 to 4 p.m.
Part one is open to the public and will feature a screening of “The Anonymous People,” a documentary film about the 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from substance abuse disorder.
“It’s very important that we get the message out there that recovery is possible, recovery is real, and it does work,” said David Nalls, event co-facilitator and Spring Arbor University business student.
Part two is titled “Recovery Messaging Training” and is open to individuals in recovery. This session will provide tools to help individuals talk about their recovery story as a positive opportunity.
“If I say the word ‘recovery,’ the first thing that comes into someone’s mind could be a list of problems, but it should be the opposite,” Nalls said. “There should be a hopeful expectation behind that word; that’s the joy of recovery.”
The College of Social Justice and Human Service is hosting the event in collaboration with Ohio Citizen Advocate for Addiction Recovery, an organization dedicated to promoting recovery from substance abuse disorder.
For more information, contact Spellis at jacob.spellis@rockets.utoledo.edu.
