The Advocate of the Year Awards recognize outstanding advocacy leadership demonstrated by individuals, family members and youth/young adults. These awards are presented in honor of the legacies of Lisa Mojer-Torres and Joel Hernandez, who stood up for the dignity and rights of all people impacted by substance use disorders.

Lisa Mojer-Torres was instrumental in the founding of Faces & Voices of Recovery as the first board chair. Her inquiring and challenging mind offered new insights, and, by example, she encouraged us to stand up and speak out on behalf of all pathways to recovery, including the use of medications. Her leadership contributed to a significant shift in understanding addiction recovery and the need to end discriminatory policies and practices.

Joel Hernandez was a champion whose protest in the face of discrimination in the Hernandez v Raytheon legal case inspired us all. This historic case has had a profound impact on employment laws for people with substance use disorder histories.

3 Awards:

1. Individual
2. Family Member
3. Youth/Young Adult

The Recovery Organization of the Year Award recognizes the exemplary achievements of one local, state, regional, or national nonprofit grassroots recovery organization for its advocacy and mobilizing of the recovery community to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery from substance use disorder.

The Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award, in honor of William L. White, renowned recovery historian and author, recognizes significant contributions made to the recovery movement through outstanding advocacy, research, or policy reform. William L. White’s sustained contributions to the field since 1969 have inspired countless individuals to learn from our history while mobilizing advocates and advancing the New Recovery Advocacy Movement (NRAM) with integrity, authenticity, and servant leadership.

The Excellence in Equity and Justice Award, in honor of Dr. Calvin Trent Jr., recognizes transformational leadership in creating authentic, diverse, equitable, just, and inclusive recovery communities. Dr. Calvin Trent of Detroit, Michigan, was a nationally recognized expert widely lauded for his fierce advocacy for the recovery community and a strong proponent of Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) transformation. Dr. Trent’s work helped to modernize how black, indigenous, people of color suffering from the disease of addiction are viewed and treated by health care providers.

The Innovations in Recovery Award honors achievements in the recovery community that promote excellence through extraordinary innovation. Contributions can take many forms and may include a significant role in the implementation and effective delivery of a highly innovative idea, program, or product. The extraordinary innovation must directly or indirectly impact the advancement of the recovery community and/or recovery support services.

Criteria:

• Leadership: Did this individual’s accomplishment demonstrate innovative leadership? Did this individual’s leadership set the stage for further innovative work?
• Out-of-the-box-thinking: Does this innovation represent out-of-the-box or cutting-edge thinking?
• Enthusiasm: Has this innovation led to a new product, service or approach to amplify the benefits of recovery?
• Impact: Will the innovation bring fundamental change and/or move the recovery community forward in fighting stigma?