Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Former Congressman discusses peer-to-peer support in mental health and addiction treatment
On October 23, The Providence Center and Anchor Recovery Community Center joined its fellow Care New England member Butler Hospital and Mental Health Consumer Advocates of RI to present The Power of Peers, a roundtable discussion on recovery led by former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy at Ray Conference Center on Butler’s campus.
Moderated by Alison Bologna, from NBC10, Kennedy was joined by Alicia Acevedo, peer recovery specialist, Continuum Behavioral Health/HealthPath; Thomas F. Joyce, associate director of Recovery Support Services, The Providence Center/Anchor Recovery Community Centers; Dale Klatzker, PhD, president, The Providence Center; Rev. David Martins, director, Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts; James McNulty, executive director, Mental Health Consumer Advocates of Rhode Island; and Roxanne Newman, peer recovery specialist, The Providence Center.
The discussion centered on the power of peer-to-peer addiction counseling services and the role Rhode Island, in particular, can play in the national discussion, in large part, due to the success of Care New England members, The Providence Center and Anchor Recovery Community Centers.
Talking points included education, political reform and community buy-in.
“We have lots of opportunities to change the dialogue,” said Kennedy. “My goal is that Rhode Island can be number one in this space. I look forward to being part of it.”
Kennedy’s presence is the only Rhode Island stop on his national book tour, promoting "A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction." Copies were available for purchase and Kennedy spent time signing copies before and after the event.
“This is an important event for Rhode Island, as almost 50,000 people each year in our state are diagnosed with serious mental illness, and nearly half do not seek treatment, either out of fear or because our system is not adequately set up to address their needs,” said Dr. Larry Price, president and COO of Butler Hospital.
