EVENT WILL CELEBRATE RECOVERY AND REPORT NATIONWIDE 24 MILLION LACK TREATMENT INCLUDING 225,000 IN NM, TRENDS INCLUDE QUINTUPLING PRESCRIPTION OPIATE ADDICTIONS, TRAUMA TREATMENT IMPORTANT

FORMER NM PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, & TREATMENT ALUMNI WITH LIVES CHANGED ALSO SPEAKING

***EVENT PLUS BALLOON LIFTOFF AND LUNCH OPEN TO PUBLIC;  MEDIA WELCOME

SANTA FE, N.M., Sept. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Santa Fe, NM Life Healing Center (25 Vista Point Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508), will host this year's National Recovery Month Headquarters News Conference at 11AM Friday, September 20, that will celebrate alcohol and drug abuse treatment and report that nationwide 24 million now lack treatment, including 225,000 in New Mexico, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The event, leading 100 events nationwide the same day, will note recent trends including a quintupling of prescription opiate addictions according to the Centers for Disease Control, and will cite the importance of trauma recovery, a specialty of Life Healing Center.

Attending and speaking at the news conference will be: Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey (Ret), former U.S. National Drug Policy Director ("Drug Czar") and Commander, SouthCom (all U.S. forces in Latin America) and Gulf War Division Commander;  Robert Garcia, Sheriff, Santa Fe County;  Alexis Duprey, reigning Miss New Mexico 2013, with a platform of strong families against substance abuse, coming to the event immediately following her Miss America pageant the week before and reporting on it;  Barak Wolff, former Director, New Mexico Public Health Division, and current policy analyst, New Mexico Senate Public Affairs Committee, under Senator and Chairman Jerry Oritiz y Pino; Andrew Black, field representative, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich;  Jennifer Manazaneres, field representative and tribal-substance abuse liaison, U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan; and Steve Brugge, recovery advocate, who will discuss personal recovery experiences.  The event will be emceed by R. Andrew Eckert, CEO, CRC Health Group, the parent company of Life Healing Center hosting the event and the largest behavioral treatment provider in the nation, with 140 facilities.  Eckert will welcome Anita Peterson as the new Executive Director of Life Healing Center.

The news conference will include media and public questions and answers, followed by an event tradition—a balloon liftoff celebrating Recovery Month for all speakers and audience, with photos encouraged—and then lunch open to all.  The entire event and lunch are free and open to the public.

Gen. McCaffrey stated, "The event will emphasize the severity of our national drug crisis, underscore the importance of quality treatment programs in this country, include New Mexico's leadership, and celebrate those in recovery. This is an important event to help generate community awareness about addiction treatment and celebrate all of those who are succeeding in recovery."

Eckert explained, "In partnership with the HHS/SAMHSA National Recovery Month, CRC Health Group, the country's largest substance abuse treatment provider, has selected Santa Fe's Life Healing Center as the national headquarters for the "Pathways to Recovery" event and will be leading the celebration for over 100 locations nationwide. Life Healing Center has been selected as the headquarter event because it is a national model in  treatment that addresses both trauma and addiction and has been helping people heal since 1993, and because of its location in New Mexico's Capital City, Santa Fe."

McCaffrey added, "The news conference kicks off a larger national event to celebrate National Recovery Month sponsored by SAMHSA, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  This year's Recovery Month theme, 'Join the Voices for Recovery:  A Path to Recovery' emphasizes that while the road to recovery may be varied, the benefits are significant and valuable to individuals, families, and communities. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the national 'treatment gap' of those who 'need but do not receive treatment' is 24 million individuals, including 225,000 in New Mexico."

WHEN: Friday, September 20, 2013
10:30 a.m. – Doors Open
11-Noon: News conference, presentations, and balloon liftoff
Noon – 1pm: Luncheon

WHERE: Life Healing Center
25 Vista Point Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico  87508

If media would like additional time with event leaders including General McCaffrey, Andy Eckert etc. by phone earlier in the morning on Friday, 7-9AM before the news conference, or onsite 10—11AM, contact Bob Weiner 202-306-1200 or weinerpublic@comcast.net . 

Contact: Robert Weiner/Richard Mann 301-283-0821, cell 202-306-1200 weinerpublic@comcast.net

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates