Recovery Month Kit

The collaborative thinking among the planning partners about the content of the materials and the sharing of information and resources to aid in their development resulted in the production of 50,000 Recovery Month kits containing the following information:

In addition to the above materials, five letters were produced to introduce Recovery Month and request participation in various forms depending on the recipient. The five letters signed by both Dr. Chavez and Dr. Clark were distributed to members of Congress, governors, mayors, legislators, and colleagues.

CSAT also designed and produced 5,000, two-color 20" x 40" commemorative Recovery Month posters and 10,000 two-color 8.5" x 11" fliers for use in mailings and conference exhibits prior to receiving the printed kits.

A total of 50,000 kits were distributed by CSAT, NCADI and several planning partners. The 2000 Recovery Month kit also received 152,385 total hits on the Recovery Month web site (www.health.org/recovery00) since going live in June 2000. For the month of September, the Recovery Month 2000 kit was the eleventh most accessed web area on the NCADI site. CSAT maintains past kits on the site as each year is added. As a result, the 1999 kit was available and received a total of 65,262 hits.

The events listing option on the site was available to the general public for posting planned events around the country. Twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico listed 53 events as of September 27, 2000. Virginia listed the most events with five.

Products available on the web site included the virtual Recovery Month kit, additional resources and publications, on-line ordering capabilities, CSAT press releases, the live web cast of the Recovery Month kick-off event, the teleconference, and English and Spanish versions of the television PSAs produced in 1999 and the radio PSAs in both 1999 and 2000.

Recovery Month 2000 web site hits compared to Recovery Month 1999

Following Recovery Month, CSAT received impressive feedback from the treatment field about how the kit materials were used to support local community efforts across the country. CSAT received copies of newspaper articles about Recovery Month (see Appendices) that addressed programs available or events taking place that tied to the theme or observance. For example, in the state of Illinois, the Fellowship House in Anna announced in the weekly Gazette-Democrat a new treatment program as an alternative to incarceration for adolescents. In Belleville, Illinois a "Recovery Fair" sponsored by the Behavioral Healthcare Services of St. Elizabeth's Hospital invited the readers of the Fairview Heights Tribune to attend and learn about 13 different self-help groups available in the community. Consciousness-raising "Letters to the Editor" from members of the treatment community about the need to remove the stigma of substance abuse and help teens reach their potential also appeared in newspapers such as Illinois' News-Gazette, with a daily circulation just over 46,000 and 52,000 on Sunday.

The impressive media exposure in Illinois on Recovery Month was only heightened by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's issuance of a proclamation. Proclamations from varying levels of elected officials across the country are listed below.

Recovery Month 2000 Proclamations Issued

Community Forums

Working closely with partners in at least 16 major cities each year, CSAT holds community forums where experts and legislators discuss local addiction treatment issues. In 1998, the first year of community forums, eight forums were held around the country in local cable stations' recording studios. Most were broadcast in the immediate area. In 2000, CSAT doubled the original number of forums to 16, with the emphasis on attracting substantial audience turnout and media coverage.

Recovery Month 2000 Community Forum Locations

* Community Forums in which CSAT Director H. Westley Clark participated.

Coordinated in conjunction with the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, the 2000 community forums aimed to examine new adolescent treatment approaches and successful service strategies, including those in the juvenile justice and family courts system. The forums were held in a variety of venues, such as churches, treatment centers, law schools and universities, public schools, a public policy center, and State Capitol buildings.

The success of the forums depended heavily on substantial collaboration with local coordinators who acted as vital links to the community. In keeping with the need for diversity, the coordinators came from a variety of backgrounds and professions, including law enforcement, treatment providers, academia, government, and community groups, among others. Like the coordinators, panel members also reflected cultural and professional diversity. Panel members, about 150 in total, included community stakeholders, individuals in recovery, policymakers, judges, insurers, health professionals, youth-serving institutions, treatment providers, teachers, counselors, school administrators, juvenile and family justice case workers, the faith community, members of the media, and other community leaders. Adolescents in recovery were also in each panel, often accompanied by parents.

In the aggregate, there were approximately 2,390 audience participants in the forums, with an average of 150 audience members in each. However, there was a dramatic range in the levels of audience attendance, ranging from 10 people at one site to 700 at another. In Orlando and Boston, there were over 400 audience members; in Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Raleigh, attendance ranged from 150 to 200; and at remaining sites, there were 10 to 100 audience members. Media advisories and press releases were distributed to 1,433 outlets in the following cities:

In addition, CSAT identified local organizations, faxed media advisories, press releases and fliers, and pitched each event to local minority, youth-oriented, and substance abuse organizations in each of the following cities:

*Also pitched to local media.

Some of the unique outreach efforts and outcomes of several community forums are as follows:

• Chicago - Two prominent leaders in Chicago, Lura Lynn Ryan, First Lady of Illinois, and Paul Vallas, the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, participated. With over 200 audience members, the program consisted of a lively exchange between youth and their family members and a large panel of city, state, and federal officials, educators, law enforcement officials, and members of the medical community. Following the testimonies of several young people, panelists participated in a moderated discussion about addiction among youth and the need to support them and their families throughout the recovery process. During the forum, Mr. Vallas directed one of the senior staff present to begin organizing similar forums throughout the Chicago public school system.

Chicago media coverage
• Channel 2 (CBS)
• Channel 5 (NBC)
• Channel 7 (ABC)
• Channel 9 (WGN)
• Channel 32 (Fox)
• Univision
• City Cable
• WRTE and WBBM Radio
• Chicago Sun-Times


• Phoenix - There was not the typical representation at this forum as at other sites, with the large attendance of probation and parole divisions. With 140 attendees representing the juvenile probation department, county agencies, parents, and adolescents, the forum centered around the following themes: parental involvement; alcohol use by adolescents; inclusion of Latinos and other minority populations in research and development of program and treatment modalities; and the lack of availability of organized after-school activities. There was a high level of ongoing community interest in these issues, which resulted in considerable local attention from both the government and the media corroborated by the fact that there were two television stations, one radio station, and three newspaper reporters present at the forum. The following day, the front page of the Arizona Republic Metro section included an article on the forum with two full-color photographs.



• Boston - With close to 500 people present, the Boston community forum captured the spirit of celebration embodied by Recovery Month. Many of the audience participants were themselves in recovery or closely associated with someone in recovery. The forum took place at the State House and, accordingly, included many legislators and political leaders who have been and continue to be involved in the issues of importance to the recovery community. The forum consisted of brief speeches by the legislators and other political leaders, followed by an informal luncheon and a "town hall meeting," which provided time for the enthusiastic audience to address questions to the panelists.



• Baltimore - The Baltimore community forum, held on a rainy Saturday morning, attracted an audience of approximately 70 adolescents, parents, and other members of the community. Panelists consisted of representatives from the school district, local government, the drug court, and the medical community. A city council member spoke eloquently about underage drinking and gave several awards and Council proclamations to local treatment providers. The discussion highlighted the need for greater coordination and collaboration among city agencies, the courts, providers, and community groups. Panelists spent several hours after the forum discussing the need for another community forum on a much wider scale. The American Bar Association is currently working with the Baltimore juvenile court judge to pull together a community forum on the needs of the adolescent population with respect to substance abuse and underage drinking.



• Memphis - The Memphis community forum was marked by a low turnout of 32 people. However, the audience was exponentially increased by the presence of the media.

Memphis media coverage included:
• Channel 5 (NBC) covered the forum on the 10 o'clock news
• Channel 24 (ABC) aired the story
• Channel 30 (UPN) aired the story
• WREG Radio covered the forum
• Tennessee News Network covered the forum
• WKNO Radio (public radio) attended and interviewed several forum participants

Radio Tour

Approximately 231 radio stations and 50 networks were contacted in the 16 target cities where community forums were held and in the region to assess their interest in interviewing Dr. Clark about the importance and effectiveness of substance abuse treatment. A total of 130 press advisory faxes were distributed to assignment editors, reporters, and producers.

Teleconference technology was utilized to link stations and interviewees, thus reducing time and travel expenses, yet maintaining the effect of an in-studio interview. The format allowed Dr. Clark or his Acting Deputy Director George Gilbert to be interviewed by stations in several different media markets within a few hours. Dr. Clark gave 20 interviews and George Gilbert conducted three interviews to tout Recovery Month and the forums. Almost all of the interviews were on radio stations in the states and cities where the forums took place.

Recovery Month 2000 Radio Tour Summary

Recovery Month 2000 Events

Wednesday, August 9, 2000 - National Press Club, Lisagor Room: Dr. Clark spoke with invited trade press to roll out the Recovery Month 2000 kit and new radio PSAs and to announce the planned events for the month of September.

Thursday, September 7, 2000 - Live Web-Cast Recovery Month Kick-off, National Press Club, Holeman Lounge: CSAT kicked off Recovery Month with a live web-cast press conference highlighting findings of the CSAT-funded Cannabis Youth Treatment Experiment.

Thursday, September 14, 2000 - Satellite Downlink Teleconference: The satellite downlink sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), with support from the Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training Program hosted CSAT Director, Dr. H. Westley Clark, and CSAT Branch Chief Thomas Edwards, and others. The satellite downlink was intended to reach CADCA members, coalitions, and other organizations working at the local level to reduce and treat substance abuse.

The teleconference was viewed in 252 sites with approximately 3,350 live viewers and an estimated 16,000 who have access to a re-broadcast of the downlink via videotape. Downlink sites were located in 44 states with two additional sites in Canada and one each in the District of Columbia and Bermuda. Approximately 37 public access stations carried the downlink with an estimated audience of 1,831,700 households.

This topic was clearly of interest to organizations that serve youth based on the 1,044 schools and 28 school districts that tuned in and received critical information to help them better serve youth in their communities. The final statistic of note is the 345 secondary sites also had access to the downlink. These terrestrial sites have the potential to re-broadcast the downlink to a global audience.

Sunday, September 17, 2000 - 5K Run for Recovery in Crystal City, Virginia: CSAT sponsored the "Run for Recovery" for the second year with Vanguard Foundation and 11 additional local businesses. There were nearly 700 participants in the "Run," including Congressman James Moran and Arlington County Board Members Kevin Appel, Barbara Favola, Paul Ferguson, Jay Fisette, and Chris Zimmerman. Local high school basketball teams participated as individuals. NCAA restricts team participation of any kind until October 15; team participation would be considered a violation.

Media coverage

• Channel 9 (CBS)
• Channel 5 (FOX)
• Channel 8 (DC Metro local station)
• Channel 33 (Arlington Cable)
• Arlington Connection
• Arlington Journal

All race promotional materials contained the CSAT/SAMHSA logo and the Recovery Month web site address. They were advertised and distributed in 1,000 metro buses and trains. Registration fliers, also including the CSAT/SAMHSA logo and web site address were sent to 10,800 households and businesses in the metropolitan area. Race participants received T-shirts with the CSAT/SAMHSA logo. CSAT giveaway materials such as shoelaces, jar openers, change purses and clips were displayed and distributed after the race.

Monday, September 25, 2000, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Live Web Chat: The live web chat concerning Recovery Month and treatment was hosted by NCADI. A narrative about the web chat topic and three questions were cleared in advance by Dr. Clark and posted on the Recovery Month web site on Sunday, September 17, 2000. During the week of September 18 - 25, more than 20 questions were received in advance of the event. Responses to the questions were prepared in advance so the answers could be posted during the live web chat.

The live web chat also received 52 questions from 7:00 p.m.- 9:40 p.m. Answers were prepared as questions were received by Dr. Clark, Ivette Torres, an information specialist from NCADI, and other staff. A total of 34 answers were posted during the live chat-some of the 52 questions received live were duplicative in nature and were answered by the 34 prepared remarks. At 9:40 p.m. answers to questions received during the previous week were posted.

Print Media Coverage

Radio Public Service Announcements

Using non-union youth talent, CSAT produced nine radio PSAs for 2000. Four English PSAs were produced and nine Spanish. All PSAs were sent directly to the Ad Council for inclusion in the PSA Matching Campaign. In addition, the Ad Council continues to include PSAs from the 1999 television and radio Recovery Month campaign in the Ad Council rotation.

CSAT received a letter dated September 25 notifying staff that the radio PSAs (English: Real Problem :15 and :30; Struggle :15 and :30; Spanish Gran Problema :15; and Complicion :20) were accepted for Media Match Reel #8 scheduled to air from October 2 to December 31, 2000. Radio PSAs (English: Environment :30; Family :30; Spanish: Restructured :30; Environment :30; and Family :30) were also selected to continue to air on Match Reel #8. Radio PSA distribution went to nearly 2,200 radio stations nationwide. Promotional fliers including text from the PSAs, pictures of youth, and a supporting letter from Dr. Clark were part of the promotional package.

As of July 2001, the nine spots were played 20,037 times on 147 AM and FM stations across the country, resulting in 94,051,050 impressions, over a total of 152 hours, and at an estimated time value of $1,044,543 in donated air time. The following chart details these results:

NCADI also assisted with the radio PSA distribution by preparing Public Affairs Director's Media Kits. Emails were sent to 2,000 radio stations announcing the availability of the kit and how to access it on the web. Two hundred and nineteen downloads were logged and requests for 44 hard copies were received. In addition, 50 State Broadcasting Association Directors were sent copies of the package.