The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery

09/27/2025

Stigma paints people with substance use challenges as “bad.” The truth is far different. Recovery is about healing, dignity, and possibility. 🌱

This Recovery Month, let’s commit to replacing judgment with compassion — and building workplaces and communities where getting well is always possible.

09/26/2025

Vermont cannot afford to leave willing workers on the sidelines. When recovery is supported:

💼 Businesses thrive
🏡 Families stabilize
🌱 Communities grow stronger

Every Vermonter deserves a workplace where recovery is recognized as strength, not stigma. And employers who step up as Recovery Friendly leaders don’t just change lives — they shape the future of our workforce.

VAMHAR is proud to launch Vermont’s Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative this Recovery Month. Are you ready to join this journey?
👉 Start today: vamhar.org/rfw

09/25/2025

Becoming a Recovery Friendly Workplace is simple, supported, and free. Here’s how you start. The process takes anywhere from 6-9 months and for more info please check our website at vamhar.org/rfw-roadmap

09/24/2025

TOMORROW, Lisa Lord and Courtney Harness will be presenting at the SHRM Vermont State Council Conference about the power of Recovery Friendly Workplaces.

They’ll share how Vermont employers are reducing stigma, strengthening teams, and creating cultures where recovery and work can thrive together.

We’re proud to have VAMHAR leading this conversation at the state’s largest HR gathering — because recovery doesn’t end at 5pm, and stigma doesn’t belong at work.

We thank SHRM for their work in creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together.

09/23/2025

The results are in — and they’re powerful:

✨ 94% of employers saw greater capacity to support staff in recovery, with boosts in morale, retention, and attendance.
✨ Recovery-friendly workplaces return $2–$4 for every $1 invested.
✨ 70% of employees in recovery felt more comfortable asking for help after their workplace joined.

Recovery isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do. 💼🌱

👉 Ready to see these results in your workplace? Start your journey today: vamhar.org/rfw

09/22/2025

🚀 It’s here! VAMHAR is officially launching its Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative.
Recovery doesn’t end at 5pm. And stigma doesn’t belong on the job.

That’s why we’re partnering with employers across Vermont to create workplaces that:

✅ Support employees in recovery
✅ Promote mental health and wellness
✅ Build stronger, more resilient teams

Together, we can transform workplaces into spaces of healing, dignity, and opportunity. 💼🌱

👉 Ready to lead the way? Learn how your business can become certified: vamhar.org/rfw

09/19/2025

Vermont has the power to lead the nation in building a true recovery ecosystem. But systems don’t shift on their own — we shift them.

Here’s how you can start making change today:

✨ Learn together. Take part in trainings at the Collective Learning Institute of Vermont (CLI-VT).
✨ Lead at work. Encourage your employer to become a Recovery Friendly Workplace.
✨ Change the conversation. Bring a stigma reduction workshop to your school, workplace, or community.

When we act together, we transform not just lives - but entire systems.
This is how recovery grows here. 🌱

09/18/2025

This Recovery Month we are reminded that Recovery is REAL - Restoring Every Aspect of Life.

To get there, we don’t need more silos. We need more tables - spaces where lived experience, policy, and practice come together to spark real change.

At VAMHAR, we’re proud to convene leaders, peers, and partners from across Vermont to design a future where healing isn’t an afterthought - it’s the foundation.

Because when voices unite, when systems align, and when compassion leads, we all heal stronger.

💬 Tell us: what table do you wish existed in Vermont where lived experience, policy, and practice could come together?

09/17/2025

🏢 Why does the workforce need people with lived experience of addiction?

In her TEDx talk, Tori Utley reminds us: recovery builds resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills that every workplace needs. Yet stigma too often keeps people sidelined.

At VAMHAR, we’re helping employers across Vermont change that by building Recovery Friendly Workplaces — environments where people can thrive, not hide.

💡 This , let’s reframe the conversation: recovery is not a liability. It’s an asset.

🎥 Watch the TEDx talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX1kwT7bspI

Tory Utley, Entrepreneur and Executive Director of "More Than an Addict," gives an enlightening talk that sheds light on why recovering addicts really do mak...

09/17/2025

September is Recovery Month and a great reminder that recovery touches everything:

🏥 Healthcare
🏠 Housing
🧠 Mental health
🎓 Schools
💼 Employment
⚖️ Justice

Real change means cross-sector collaboration. We need leaders across systems to lean in.

👥 Tag a community leader, policymaker, or organization you think should be at the table for this conversation.

09/16/2025

This Recovery Month SAMHSA invites us to reflect on what’s possible when Recovery is REAL - Restoring Every Aspect of Life.

At VAMHAR we are imagining what it would look like if Vermont became the first state with a fully integrated recovery ecosystem?
One where health, housing, employment, justice, and education systems all aligned to support healing - not punishment.

At VAMHAR, this isn’t a dream. It’s a blueprint. And it starts with collective action.

💬 What would an integrated recovery ecosystem look like in your community? Share your vision in the comments.

09/15/2025

We are deeply grateful to have been part of the Community Dinner & Forum on the Opioid Crisis at Essex High School last week.

The evening was filled with powerful conversations, resource sharing, and demonstrations that brought our community together in hope and action. From the barbecue meal to the naloxone trainings, to the honest and heartfelt panel discussions—this event showed what happens when we come together with compassion and courage.

✨ Thank you to the organizers, presenters, and every person who showed up to learn, listen, and connect. Events like this remind us: we are strongest when we face challenges together.

➡️ You can read coverage of the event in the Essex Reporter here:

Learn about the opioid crisis and available resources at a free event in Essex. Find out how to reverse an overdose and access support services.