“Join the Voices for Recovery:
Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community.”

The United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, has designated the month of September as National Recovery Month. The goal of Recovery Month is threefold: (1) to celebrate those who have recovered from mental and substance abuse disorders; (2) to increase the awareness and understanding of these disorders; and (3) to encourage those in need of treatment and recovery to obtain these crucial services.

Each annual Recovery Month has a theme, and this year’s theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community.” The 2018 theme seeks to emphasize the important roles of integrated care, a strong community, a sense of purpose, and leadership in the recovery process. 2018 National Recovery Month also endeavors to improve awareness of these problems and to encourage the public to discuss the nation’s behavioral health needs.

Mental illness and substance abuse affected over 44 million adults in the United States 2016, yet over half -- nearly 57 percent – of these cases went untreated.  SAMHSA reports that between 2010 and 2014, adults in Kentucky suffered from mental illnesses at a rate similar to, and slightly above, the national average – about 168,000 Kentuckians aged 18 or older had a serious mental illness in 2012.

Kentucky is also particularly affected by the opioid crisis; according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Kentucky is in the top 10 of states for having the most opioid-related overdose deaths, at nearly double the national rate. 

As part of the Recovery Month celebrations, people in recovery can share their personal stories or participate in a variety of recovery events. The Morton Center Luncheon is held during Recovery Month, to help fund our scholarship program and bring awareness to our services.

This Recovery Month, let’s raise awareness of the importance of mental health and drug abuse treatment programs, and take action to ensure that those who need important mental health care services can get it.