Association Executive Directors Community

Dear Association Executives - Nominations are now being sought for this year's Ramstad/Kennedy Award in conjunction with September's Recovery Month activities. See attached and below. Please share this with your members and encourage them to nominate. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.
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The first annual Ramstad/Kennedy Award was presented in 2008 during a National Recovery Month reception at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) State Systems Development Program (SSDP) conference.  During this past year, the Planning Partners have continued working to focus our national efforts on expanding recovery support for the millions of Americans in early recovery. They work to strengthen recovery support programs through local community activities honoring recovery; they also continue to help those in their communities who are still suffering from addiction to find recovery and to support the countless hurting family members who are also struggling to recover from addiction's impact. The National Recovery Month theme in 2019 was Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.  The 2020 National Recovery Month theme is Join the Voices of Recovery: Celebrating Connections.

Background:  The Planning Partners have witnessed with appreciation as the SSAs have increased their critical role in supporting and promoting recovery and Recovery Month activities, materials and awareness in their states and within their agencies.  The Planning Partners (200+ organizations and agencies) have also watched with appreciation the extraordinary and long-time efforts and passionate leadership of the Honorable Jim Ramstad (R-MN-ret) and the Honorable Patrick Kennedy (D-RI-ret) in the development, understanding and promotion of public policies to bring equity to care for people with substance use disorders and their family members. 

The Ramstad/Kennedy Award was established in 2008 to recognize an SSA Director who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in support of recovery and Recovery Month and to acknowledge Congressmen Ramstad and Kennedy for their commitment to recovery and recovery-oriented policies.  The Award will be presented at the annual NASADAD meeting taking place September 15, 2020 as part of the NASADAD Quarterly Board Meeting.

To nominate an SSA director, please refer to the criteria below, and complete and return the application form on the next page by 11:59 pm (EST), September 9, 2020.

Thank you!

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Criteria: Single State Agency Director who has:

1. Provided outstanding leadership and innovation in promoting the goals of National Recovery Month during 2019, including support of the 2019 theme: Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.
2. Strengthened and expanded Recovery Month activities within their agency and throughout other state agencies.
3. Provided support to strengthen and expand Recovery Month activities that supported individual and family recovery throughout their state.
4. Expanded the number and impact of National Recovery Month activities in their local communities.

Please provide the following information for the SSA Director that you are nominating:

Name:__________________________________________________________

Title: __________________________________________________________

Agency: ________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________

Phone:  _________________________________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________

• Briefly describe the activities or initiatives undertaken in 2019 – and their impact – which demonstrate outstanding leadership. Include efforts to engage all state departments to acknowledge and host activities for Recovery Month and additional efforts that fostered awareness and recovery support for children and families impacted by a loved one's substance use disorder.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.)  Please include links to any reports/press releases for these activities and/or initiatives.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

	In case we have any questions, please provide your contact information: Name:  ____________________________________________________    Agency: _____________________________________________________    Address:  ____________________________________________________    Phone: ______________________________________________________    Email: ______________________________________________________

Thank you for your interest and support of National Recovery Month.

Nominations due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.  Send electronically to SSARMAward@nacoa.org or by fax to NACoA at 301-468-0987.

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A Legacy of Outstanding Service

• 2008 - Michael Botticelli, Massachusetts

 

• 2009 - Karen Carpenter-Palumbo, New York

 

• 2010 - Carol Falkowski, Minnesota

 

• 2011 - Barbara Cimaglio, Vermont

 

• 2012 - Craig Stenning, Rhode Island

 

• 2013 - Flo Stein, North Carolina

 

• 2014 - Mark Stringer, Missouri

 

• 2015 - Gary Tennis, Pennsylvania

 

• 2016 - Kathy Stone, Iowa

 

• 2017 – Cassandra Price, Georgia

 

• 2018 – Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, New York

 

• 2019 – Sara Goldsby, South Carolina

 

• 2020 --

 

 

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Neal Comstock
Director of Membership
National Council
NealC@TheNationalCouncil.org
202 748-8793
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