September is National Recovery Month! This year’s theme is “Hope is Real. Recovery is Real.”
“National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.” – SAMHSA 2023
Weekly Themes
September 4-10
This week we highlight supporting youth and young people in recovery and the crucial role that families and caregivers play in supporting individuals who are already in recovery or are seeking to start their recovery journey.
September 11-17
This week’s focus is ensuring that people of color, youth, older adults, LGBTQI+, rural residents, veterans, and people with disabilities have equitable access to recovery resources.
September 18-24
Our focus this week is promoting a whole-person approach to wellness that addresses the social determinants of health in addition to physical and mental symptoms.
September 25-30
This week we highlight the importance of peer support and peer support services in guiding individuals, families, and caregivers through recovery.
See the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s webpage on National Recovery Month for more information. There are a whole host of featured events, which can be found on the SAMHSA Events page.
Association of Recovery in Higher Education Partners with Mobilize Recovery for Inaugural Day of Service on September 30, 2023!
ARHE is proud to partner of Mobilize Recovery Day of Service to convene service events across the world that give back to communities in a meaningful way. The inaugural Day of Service will happen on September 30, 2023, marking the culmination of National Recovery Month and coinciding with International Recovery Day. Several celebrities and prominent advocates have joined the Day of Service movement, including Macklemore, Charlamagne Tha God, Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Melissa Etheridge, Danny Trejo and others, to help harness the power of the recovery community and civic engagement. Every person living in recovery is thankful for the people and communities that support them. Hand in hand, Day of Service asks the world to join together and give back through a variety of service events, such as park clean ups, hospital visits and food drives. Service events are being organized and tracked on the Day of Service website, where individuals are invited to add their own event.
Learn more at www.recoverydayofservice.org.
Many of our member institutions are also hosting their own Recovery Month Events!
CRP: Concord University
Event: Celebrate Recovery Day
Date and Time: September 6, 2023
Location: Concord University P.O. Box 100 Athens WV 24712
Website Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/846579833284672
Event Description: Celebration of Recovery Month and providing resources and information to the student body at the University
Contact for Event: bwhitehouse@concord.edu
CRP: Campus Activities Program Board
Event: Serving with a Twist
Date and Time: Tuesday, September 5, 11:00am-1:00pm
Location: Aims Community College 5121 W. 20th St., Greeley, CO
Website Link: events.aims.edu
Event Description: How Familiar are you with serving sizes? Join us on September 5 at 11 a.m. to enjoy some finger food, play with water, and soak up the warm weather! Games include Fish the Duck, Super Soakers, Frisbees, Jenga, and GIANT Connect4!
Contact for Event: student.activities@aims.edu
CRP: Temple Collegiate Recovery
Event: Recovery Ally Training for Students
Date and Time: Thursday, September 7 at 3:00 PM, EST
Location: Wellness Resource Center Classroom
Website Link: https://temple.campuslabs.com/engage/event/9157774
Event Description: September is National Collegiate Recovery Month! This Ally Training will provide participants with the tools to support their peers with in recovery from substance use disorder(s) (SUD) and those who are reflecting on their values around substance use. Students will review SUD basics, components of a recovery-friendly campus, and resources that Temple offers to cultivate a Community of Care.
Contact for Event: Alex Koehler: alex.koehler@temple.edu
CRP: StepUP Program
Event: Walk for Recovery
Date and Time: September 9, 2023 from 10am-3pm
Location: Minnesota State Capitol
Website Link: https://minnesotarecovery.org/walk/
Event Description: The Walk for Recovery is an essential community event to model hope and break the stigma of addiction. All are welcome to participate! Whether you personally have been affected by substance use disorder or want to show your support as a recovery ally, join us for a day of music, food, dance, art, and fun activities for all ages that culminates in the Walk for Recovery. Check out the schedule of event day activities!
Contact for Event: Wendy Jones
CRP: Ryan Elkins
Event: Reaching For Recovery
Date and Time: September 9, 2023 10am-5pm
Location: 7400 Lynn Avenue Hamlin, WV, 25523
Website Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1989929514688080
Event Description: Live music – Road less Traveled Free food Inflatables: Slide, obstacle course, & paddle boards Dunk tank: Try to dunk our very own house of delegates member, David Adkins, or Juvenile Probation officer, Tom Scarpellini Great line-up of powerful speakers.
Contact for Event: lincolncommunityoutreach@outlook.com 740-744-5436
CRP: WVCRN Southern WV CTC
Event: Save a Life Day Recovery Walk and Resource Fair
Date and Time: September 14th, 3-8pm
Location: Logan WV
Website Link: N/A
Event Description: We will be meeting in the middle of the town of Logan to host a resource fair with food and prizes and games followed by a recovery walk through town for the community to participate in during Save a Life Day
Contact for Event: Aaron Blankenship aaron.blankenship@prestera.org
CRP: Lancers Recover
Event: Student Recovery Services Fair
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 20, from 10am-4pm
Location: CAW Commons, 401 Sunset Ave., Windsor, ON
Website Link: N/A
Event Description: We will be hosting a services fair for students to become familiar with our services where we will be launching our new promotional video for the program. Partnering with local addiction support agencies, we will have community resources, as well as naloxone distribution on site.
Contact for Event: Mack Park, lancersrecover@uwindsor.ca
CRP: StepUP Program
Event: Gratitude Breakfast
Date and Time: Thursday, September 21 from 7:30a-9a
Location: Hoversten Chapel, Augsburg University
Website Link: https://minnesotarecovery.org/gratitude-breakfast/
Event Description: Wrap up Recovery Month with a morning of reflection, gratitude and networking at Minnesota Recovery Connection’s annual Gratitude Breakfast, presented in collaboration with Augsburg University’s StepUP Program.
Contact for Event: Wendy Jones
CRP: Clean Cats
Event: Cool Cat Chat with Khadi Oluwatoyin, Mental Health Advocate and Founder of Sober Black Girls Club, IG Live
Date and Time: Friday, September 22, 6-7pm
Location: @prattcrc IG Live
Website Link: https://www.instagram.com/prattcrc/
Event Description: Join us for a lively Cool Cat Chat on IG Live with the incredible Khadi Oluwatoyin (pronouns she/her) Founder and Executive Director of Sober Black Girls Club (SBGC) & Mental Health Advocate! We will talk about her creation of SBGC, what recovery means to her as a Nigerian-American, and how her various identities and experiences in the recovery world have impacted her pathway to healing. In addition to founding Sober Black Girls Club, Khadi Oluwatoyin, is also an attorney, and the creator of Sober Black Girls Podcast! Check her out: @soberblackgirlsclub, listen to her podcast – Sober Black Girls Club.
Contact for Event: jmontoya@pratt.edu
CRP: Aims Recovery Steering Committee
Event: Jay Pee – Message of HOPE – National Recovery Month Speaker
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 27, 12:00-1:30pm
Location: Aims Community College 5121 W. 20th St., STCO 114, Greeley, CO
Website Link: events.aims.edu
Event Description: Jeff Powell, better known as Jay Pee, has an extensive history of experiencing homelessness and addiction. His story is one of redemption and hope. Learn how he got out of his dire situation and turned it into a thriving condition, where he has created a recovery community organization (Minnesota Hope Dealerz), became a Drug and Alcohol counselor and an inspiration to those in recovery worldwide Event Details
Contact for Event: student.activities@aims.edu
Thank you to all of the programs who submitted their events to us to share more widely, as well as those not listed who are doing the work on their campuses to raise awareness of Recovery this month!
International Connections
In Canada? Visit Recovery Month Canada’s list of events.
In the UK? Visit Recovery Connections to connect with local programs, or see a list of Recovery Month events on the DrugWise webpage.