People Like Me: Mutual Aid and Recovery from Substance Use Disorders - April 2019

Dawn Farm Addiction and Recovery Education Series

“People Like Me: Mutual Aid and Recovery from Substance Use Disorders” was presented on April 23, 2019; Todd Diana, Dawn Farm staff, and a five-member panel. Since the 1700’s people have banded together to help each other recover from substance use disorders. Today, people seeking peer support for recovery from substance use disorders, as well as family members and friends of people with substance use disorders, have an expansive menu of mutual aid groups they can participate in. Research demonstrates that active involvement in mutual aid recovery groups significantly improves a person’s chances of long-term recovery and supports the effectiveness and practical impact of mutual aid groups. For people seeking recovery support, mutual aid groups often provide a sense of belonging, understanding, acceptance and connection as well as practical help and support. This presentation will provide an overview of the history, development and current status of mutual aid recovery programs in the USA, and the research supporting the efficacy of mutual aid participation in supporting sustained recovery. The program will include a panel discussion by members of a sampling of substance use disorder recovery mutual aid programs. (Please note: Dawn Farm is not affiliated with any recovery mutual aid program or group.)

This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual education series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about substance use disorders, recovery, family and related issues. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services. For information, please see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.

About the presenter: Todd Diana Todd Diana has been a member of Dawn Farm's staff since 2013. He has worked in several capacities at Dawn Farm--as a Detox Counselor, Group Facilitator, Administrative Assistant, and Recovery Support Specialist. Todd has lived in Michigan since 1984, when he moved back to Ann Arbor to attend graduate school. He'd completed his BA in History at the University of Washington, and it was while living in Seattle that Todd was first introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous, to Narcotics Anonymous, to Al-Anon, and to various other recovery groups and programs. He is an alumni of Dawn Farm and an active member of the local recovery community.