September is National Recovery Month
Recovery is for every person, family, community – Everyone!
DTPM is celebrating National Recovery Month! Recovery is revolved around everything we do. We celebrate recovery all year round with our clients, employees, and our community, but this month, have been joining in the Nationwide celebration of National Recovery Month.
As part of our celebration, we had the honor of conducting interviews with four amazing members of the recovery community. Throughout the rest of 2021, we will be sharing their stories to bring hope to those struggling with addiction and providing resources for families and loved ones affected by drug and alcohol abuse.
This month we are introducing two of our Recovery Community Experts, Pam Jones Lanhart and Brandon Lackey. Both have a unique story on how their lives are intertwined with recovery and how their work is making a positive impact on so many. Here are their stories!
Pam Jones Lanhart
Pam has lived in the shadow of addiction her entire life. Growing up as the child of parents that struggled with substance use and having 3 siblings that were impacted, Pam determined that addiction would not impact her family. So when her son became affected at the young age of 12 Pam set out on a mission to understand the disease, how it impacted families and what the recovery process looked like not just for her son, but for herself as well.
As a result, Pam started a non-profit in Minnesota called Thrive Family Support which helps families nationally connect to resources, education, and support. Pam is also a certified peer recovery specialist, family recovery coach, and Arise interventionist. Pam has been trained in the CRAFT and Invitation to Change approaches for helping families to use evidence-based best practices in order to move their loved ones toward change and believes that a healthy family gives their loved ones the best opportunity to activate their own personal recovery. She is also a fierce advocate for humane treatment of those suffering from substance use, the availability of harm reduction, and the de-stigmatizing of those suffering from the disease of addiction.
Brandon Lackey
Brandon Lackey served the Foundry Ministries for two years as the Director of Changed Lives Christian Center, a homeless transitional housing ministry, before transitioning to his current role as Chief Program Officer in 2015. Before joining the Foundry, Brandon served for more than a decade with Teen Challenge USA’s Alabama chapter, where he held positions in management and development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in the behavioral sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is an ordained minister by appointment to the Foundry. Brandon’s advocacy for those without a voice is essential, so he serves as the Executive Administrator of the Alabama Rescue Services Association and the Alabama Association of Christian Recovery Ministries. As a founding board member of the Alabama Association of Christian Recovery Ministries, he worked within the Alabama Legislature to change some of Alabama’s outdated mental health laws, further protecting religious freedom and recovery choices (2010). Brandon serves on Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s Commission on Opioid Abuse and Overdose, focusing on expanding access to treatment and recovery services and the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Recovery Housing Committee.
