The USARA team (Mary Jo McMillen, Heidi Thompson, Lanette Denton, Marcie Gray, Tiffany Naccarato, not pictured Rachelle Nye) celebrate Recovery Day at Swanny Park on September 5th.
Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) celebrated Recovery Day in the city of Moab on September 5 at Swanny Park. Mayor Joette Langianese signed a Recovery Day Proclamation, received by advocates Lanette Denton and Rachelle Nye.
“I do hereby proclaim September 5th, 2024 as Recovery Day in the city of Moab and call upon citizens, communities, agencies, religious organizations, medical facilities, and businesses to join in the celebration of individual, family and community recovery from the effects of addiction, thereby strengthening this community in which we live,” Mayor Langianese read to city council on August 27th.
Another aspect of the proclamation highlighted by Tiffany Naccarato, USARA’s Community Impact Manager, was person-first language.
“Our theme this year is ‘imagine what recovery can be’, and a big part of that is language we use in the community,” Naccarato said at the Swanny Park celebration on Thursday. “Instead of saying ‘addicts,’ we can say ‘people with addiction’ or ‘people in recovery.’”
“It means a lot to see how this community has spread all over the state,” Naccarato said. Her team hosted the same event in Price the following day, and in Utah County Saturday. Recovery Day celebrations included a dunk tank, face-painting and other crafts, and a live DJ.
Other non-profit organizations represented included:
- Grand County Family Support Center, offering planned respite services
- Moab’s Wellness Collective, offering events providing equitable access to health and wellness programming
- Seekhaven, Moab’s family crisis and resource center
- WabiSabi, Moab’s thrift destination committed to providing resources, grants, and programming back to the community
- The Other Side Academy, a Salt Lake City school specializing in behavioral training
- Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital, an Orem-based behavioral and addiction treatment center
- The Great Coalition, or Grand County Resource Education Achieved Together
- Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, offering mental health and substance use treatment
- Utah Peer Network, Salt Lake-based recovery specialists
- NAT-SU Behavioral Health, recovery specializing in Native and spiritually based practices
USARA supports, empowers, advocates for, and celebrates individuals and families in recovery from the effects of substance use disorders, with offices in Moab and throughout the state.
