Recognizing September as National Recovery Month in Philadelphia and Celebrating the 17th Annual PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! to Promote Recovery and Work to End the Stigma Surrounding Drug and Alcohol Addiction

WHEREAS, September 2018 marks the 29th Annual National Recovery Month. This month celebrates the gains people with mental and/or substance use disorders have made towards living healthy and rewarding lives by utilizing substance use treatment and mental health services. The theme for National Recovery Month 2018 is, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community,” highlighting the importance of integrated care, a strong community, a sense of purpose, and leadership to effective and sustainable treatment and recovery of persons with mental and substance use disorders; and

WHEREAS, According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 44.7 million American adults, or 18.3% of American adults, experience mental illness. Meanwhile, 20.1 million Americans aged 12 or older, or 7.5% of the population, have a substance use disorder. Of these, 8.2 million American adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders; and

WHEREAS, Across the country, millions of Americans have transformed their lives through recovery. Each September, tens of thousands of prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and facilities celebrate the accomplishments made by those who have sought treatment; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, only 10.8% of patients with substance use disorders get the treatment they need. In Philadelphia, an estimated 58,391 individuals misused prescription opioids within the past year, and there are at least 55,000 heroin users in the City. The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services partners with a wide range of recovery support services, including 58 outpatient facilities, 14 opioid treatment programs, and 44 residential treatment facilities; and

WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, the 17th Annual PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! will take place September 22nd at Penn’s Landing. Recovery Walks! is the largest National Recovery Month event in the nation, as 27,000 recovery supporters walked in 2017. The purpose of Recovery Walks! is to provide hope to others by showing that recovery from addiction is real, to reduce the stigma of the disease, to educate the media and public, to celebrate National Recovery Month, to honor people and organizations that provide services for the recovery community, and to honor those who have not survived this deadly disease; and

WHEREAS, PRO-ACT, a program of The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, is a grassroots organization for people affected by substance use disorders and their family members. By offering community education, peer education and support, advocacy, and recovery support services, PRO-ACT teaches, heals, and helps thousands of people throughout the region; and

WHEREAS, An increasing number of lives are lost to mental and/or substance use disorders, so the positive and hopeful message of the opportunity of recovery must be shared more widely and effectively than ever. Ending the stigma surrounding addiction is an important step towards helping more individuals seek treatment to live fulfilling lives. Events like PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! are essential to changing public perception regarding mental and substance use disorders; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes September as National Recovery Month in Philadelphia and celebrates the 17th Annual PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! to promote recovery and work to end the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol addiction.

RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to PRO-ACT, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.

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