After the snow finally cleared, Recovery Café Members, staff, board members, and volunteers joined together with the Washington Recovery Alliance on February 27th to head to Olympia for the 4thAnnual Recovery Advocacy Day.
More than 350 individuals, representing almost every one of Washington’s 49 Legislative Districts, attended to advocate for legislation including funding for recovery support services like Recovery Café and millions of dollars for recovery housing. This legislation will create positive outcomes for thousands of people.
Advocating for this legislation not only shows our Members that they have a voice, it also shows them an important part of the democratic process. Our community has powerful stories; whether it is our personal journey in recovery or the way it has touched our lives through the ones we love. Meeting with their Representatives helps our Members show our leaders that this is about more than line items in a budget. The initiatives we were fighting for are about lives. Our community’s stories are priceless and we can’t thank the participants enough for sharing theirs.
At the end of this year’s session, the state budget included more than $40 million for substance use treatment, prevention, and recovery. There were also three bills passed to support people in recovery with housing, the criminal justice system, and healthcare. All three bills passed unanimously in the House and Senate! Here are some of the legislative accomplishments for the WRA this year:
- $1,000,000 for rental vouchers for those in early recovery
- $3,000,000 for peer-run agencies like Recovery Café
- $3,000,000 for the expansion of the LEAD program
- $2,000,000 to expand Substance Use Disorder Peer-Support Services
- $3,000,000 to start support services for pregnant women with a Substance Use Disorder