As more and more individuals in recovery started getting involved the National Recovery Movement and began forming local, grassroots organizations, these entities became known as "Recovery Community Organizations" (RCOs).  The shared purpose of the RCOs springing up across the nation was "to enable people in recovery, their friends and allies, and communities to engage in recovery advocacy and to support each other in their recovery journeys."  These individuals, who were living, breathing proof of the reality of recovery themselves,  began to with meet with community leaders and government officials at every level to "change the script" around substance use and mental health disorders.  They shared the unified message that "individuals with substance use and mental health disorders can heal, actively participate in their own care, and lead meaningful lives in their communities" began to take root.  

 

As the number of local communities that established their own RCOs grew, it became increasingly evident that "recovering and recovered people were a valuable part of the solution" in reducing the impact of under-supported and un-treated substance use and co-occurring disorders had in the community;  that recovery gives back what has taken from individuals, families, and communities.   The National Recovery Movement began to humanize substance use disorder, fight stigma and brought global awareness to the prevention of drug overdose and the reality of recovery.

 

The Recovery Advocacy Movement in Idaho ​can be traced back to 2012.

 

Since then, it's growth and impact has helped transform "addiction" from a source of silence and shame into a public health issue that demands compassion, support, and action.  

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Read below to learn more about the history and

growth of Idaho's Recovery Advocacy Movement.

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