Chef Robert Irvine to Host SAMHSA's Voice Awards Honoring Military

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) 2017 Voice Awards program will recognize television and film writers and producers along with community leaders for outstanding efforts to raise awareness and understanding of mental illnesses and/or addictions. The 12^th annual Voice Awards, highlighting the theme Honoring Those Who Serve: Hope, Resilience, and Recovery, will spotlight efforts that provide hope and support to past and present military service members and their families who have faced mental health and addiction challenges. This year's event will be held on August 16, 2017, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

The Voice Awards will be hosted by celebrity chef Robert Irvine, who has been an ardent supporter of issues affecting military personnel and their families through the Robert Irvine Foundation. With more than 27 years in the culinary field, chef Irvine has cooked his way throughout the world in restaurants, hotels and on the high seas. As the host of Restaurant: Impossible, he saved struggling restaurants across America by assessing a restaurant's weak spots and helping owners and managers overhaul them. He has received special recognition for his commitment to the U.S. military when he was designated Honorary Chief Petty Officer by the U.S. Navy; in 2015, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society bestowed upon him the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment and Support of Our Service Members.

In addition to honoring community-based consumer, peer, and family leaders who champion recovery from mental illness and/or addictions, the Voice Awards also will recognize writers and producers for their exemplary portrayals of military service members, their families, and the path to recovery. This year's finalists include the feature films Captain Fantastic and Megan Leavey; documentaries Almost Sunrise, Iron Will, and The S Word; and television shows Chris Gethard: Career Suicide (HBO), Jane the Virgin (CW), One Day at a Time (Netflix), The Warfighters (History Channel), and This Is Us (NBC).

WHAT: 2017 Voice Awards – https://www.samhsa.gov/voice-awards

WHEN:
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Arrivals and Partner-Sponsored Pre-Event – 6:15 p.m. PDT
Voice Awards event – 7:30 p.m. PDT

WHERE: Royce Hall at UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095

VISUAL: Award winners, host, and presenters photo opportunities

ATTEND: To attend in-person, please register here:  https://www.regonline.com/2017voiceawards

To view the live webcast, please register here: : https://nvite.com/VoiceAwards/eo7gzo

For more information about the Voice Awards and to view the list of collaborating organizations, visit www.samhsa.gov/voice-awards. To join the Voice Awards conversation, like SAMHSA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/samhsa(link is external) and follow @samhsagov and use hashtag #VoiceAwards on Twitter.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

SOURCE Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)