Today's guest is Mary Jo McMillen, A powerhouse in the recovery community here in Salt Lake City, UT. Mary Jo has been in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and taking care of my mental health since September 16, 1985. She's an Advanced Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor who has been working with people impacted by substance use since 1987. From 1987 to 2010 she worked in residential and outpatient SUD treatment programs. In 2006 she became one of the founding Board Members for Substance Abuse Recovery Alliance (SARA) - Utah, and later in 2009 the name changed to Utah Support Advocates for Recovery (USARA). In 2010 I became USARA’s Executive Director. I am grateful for USARA’s work as a non-profit organization and fortunate to have personally grown in my role as a community leader. My beginning with USARA was dedicated primarily to advocacy work which came intentionally from listening to and representing the voices and experiences of the people in recovery from substance use. This includes thousands of Utahans, both individuals and family members, that have courageously committed to improving their health and well being while living life in recovery from and SUD. Mary Jo's work at USARA has been to bring people in recovery from substance use into the discussions that include participation on committees, forums, education panels, local councils, and state government including Utah legislators, where decisions about programs, policies and funding are made. People who have been personally impacted by the effects and consequences of substance use as well as people who are in recovery have directly influenced the changes needed with expungement policies, criminal justice reform, and the expansion of medicaid. Utahans in recovery have become a growing and visible community that has increased the state and local awareness and acceptance that substance use is a public health concern, that has caused devastating illness, and loss of life from overdoses and suicides. USARA’s advocacy work elevates the need for integrated physical and behavioral health treatment, need for affordable and supported stable housing, and the improvement of medical patient/client care within our healthcare system for people who have substance use and mental health disorders. USARA’s greatest accomplishment is in the development of an extraordinary leadership team, staff, volunteers and community partnerships who have all worked collaboratively to plan, create and implement a continuum of non-clinical, community based recovery support services and a network of resources for people who want help to establish and live life in recovery. We have accomplished this through the work we have done statewide with 5 Recovery Community Centers, 35 staff, countless volunteers, and our Board of Directors who are all people in recovery and family members. Our asset for the work we do is that all of us have had direct experience with substance use and recovery. USARA’s mission is to connect and inspire communities to advocate for addiction recovery. We envision a Utah where recovery community and connection are recognized as the most valuable assets for people to recover from addiction. You can learn more about USARA by clicking on the link... https://www.myusara.com/ Thank You Mary Jo for being our guest speaker, it was an absolute pleasure having you in the studio with us. Thank You for all you're doing to make a change in our community. Special Thanks to our amazing sponsors... WE HAVE A SPONSOR WHO ASKED TO BE UNKNOWN. WE APPRECIATE YOUR LOVE, KINDNESS & SUPPORT. "THANK YOU". #deathwish #fentanylpoisoning #TheLostVoicesOfFentanylPoisoning #addiction #love #recovery #hope #mentalhealthawareness #illegaldrugaddictionawareness #stopdrugabuse #depression #believinginyourself #selflove #mentalillness #youcanbeataddiction #help #healing #suicidal #theothersideofaddiction #resiliencetalknetwork #trauma #abuse #seakingconnection #blamegame #sexaddiction #gambelingaddiction #gamingaddiction #recoverycenters #holistictreatment #mindbodyandsoul #positivity #strength #injury #awarness #surrender #lettinggo #burdenofcontrol #beconsistent #defineandrefine #create #responsibility #success #loveconquersall #youarenotalone #dopesick #sound healer practitioner, #reiki master, #hypnotherapist, #mind body wellness, #hopelessness, #homeless, #liquidmorphine, #matrbehaviorlhealth, #theothersideacademy #usara, #cornercanyonhealth #stepsrecovery, #wasatch recovery, #anxiety, #confidence, #changeyourlife, #freedomfromfear, #adversity, #labeling, #sence of self, #discovering self, #beyond addiction mosaic #shaysober #passionate wings, #domestic violence, #wasatch recovery, #the robert scott bell show, #robertscottbell, #novishealthutah #saltlakecreativetherapy #GratefulAddictsinRecovery #sobrietyworrior #sobermotivation #sobercurious #soberliferocks #alcoholfree #recoveryday #recoverytime #endthestigma #paintopurpose #purposetopassion
