The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse Leading for Addiction Recovery in Georgia
Thanks to the generous bi-partisan support of the Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia Council on Substance, Georgia’s exclusive statewide Recovery Community Organization, was in a powerful position in 2021 to provide life-saving supports across Georgia to advance and sustain peer led recovery from Substance Use Disorder (Addiction).
“The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse is honored to partner with the State of Georgia in providing a diversity of essential services, resources, and trainings to communities across Georgia. Addiction is the epidemic within the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of deaths from overdoses are at historic levels; likewise, the number of people entering into recovery is also at historic numbers. Peer led recovery saves lives. I am proud of the team at the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse and honored to work with the State of Georgia and with our wonderful community partners to bring recovery to the people of Georgia,” Neil Campbell, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse Executive Director.
“Governor Brian Kemp, Commissioner Judy Fitzgerald, and the Bi-partisan General Assembly Working Group on Addiction and Recovery are providing tremendous resources and funding in support of the Georgia Recovery Community. In 2022, it is imperative that the General Assembly continue to increase funding for peer led recovery as the number of people impacted by addiction is at historic levels. When the General Assembly supports recovery, communities are safer, families stay together, the workforce is stronger, and we save tax-payer dollars,” Jeff Breedlove, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse Chief of Policy and Communications.
The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse in 2021:
Over 100,000 people heard the message that Recovery is Real
187 – Events attended by the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse to advance the message that Recovery is Real
1,100 – People attended Addiction Recovery Awareness Day (ARAD) 2021
17, 458 – Followers across all social media platforms
12,219 – Facebook Followers
23,405 – People attended Virtual All Recovery Meetings
730 – Virtual All Recovery Meetings
35 – GCSA Virtual All Recovery Meeting Phenom Squad volunteers
185 – Participants in Listening Sessions across Georgia
8 – Town Hall meetings held with the Georgia General Assembly
8 -Town Hall meetings hosted in communities across Georgia
17 – Virtual Town Hall meetings in partnership with elected officials
3 – Virtual Advocacy Training Sessions reaching over 120 people
6 – Virtual Recovery Community Connections hosted across Georgia
6 – Times GCSA testified before the Georgia General Assembly
120 – Peer Support Specialists Trained
19,789 – People reached via the Cares Warm Line
The CARES Warm Line phone calls up 285%
The CARES Warm Line text messages up 1004%
6,828 – Peer interactions through hospital Peer Recovery Coaching
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 935 Patient encounters
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 3,791 Peer Follow-ups
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 8 – Educational Sessions facilitated
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 15 – Recovery Community Organizations trained
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 8 – Hospitals served
Recovery in the Emergency Department / 55 – Emergency Department personnel trained
Recovery in the NICU / 255 – Encounters in the NICU
Recovery in the NICU / 1,847 – Peer Follow-ups
6 – Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist Academy (CARES) Academies held in 2021
467 – Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist Academy (CARES) applications received
120 – Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist Academy (CARES) graduates
3 – CARES Connect programs facilitated
381 – CARES Connect peers in attendance
8 – New Recovery Community Organizations established
12 – New Recovery Community Organization Learning Collaborative Webinars
64 – Recovery Community Organization support meetings
31 – Participants attended 2 Virtual Listening Sessions for the Georgia Hispanic, immigrant and refugee communities
32 – Spanish language Virtual All Recovery Meetings
40 – Hispanic Outreach Calls and Support Meetings facilitated
Compassionate Conversation Training with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Opioid Affected Youth Initiative
GCSA partnered with the Fulton County Accountability Court providing support to peer coaches in the drug court
GCSA partnered with the Fulton County Accountability Court to advance Cultures of Recovery training
50 – peer coaches, clinicians, compliance officers, investigators, district attorneys, and public defenders trained from the GCSA partnership with the Fulton County Accountability Court
