PRESS RELEASE
Joseph Massey receives RecoveryPeople’s 2022 Person of the Year Award
In recognition of his support of individuals and affected family members, RecoveryPeople is excited to announce Joseph Massey, as our 2022 Person of the Year. This award is part of a RecoveryPeople campaign during National Recovery Month (September) that recognizes leaders in the recovery community.
As a young adult, Joseph worked for Fortune 500 companies, but the loss of a family member to addiction opened his eyes to the internal pain that so many people experience but don’t let others see. At that moment, Joseph made the decision to start a new journey; helping others with these internal struggles and helping them understand that they don’t have to struggle alone. As a result, he became a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), a Nurturing Parenting Programs Facilitator, and a Certified Anger Resolution Therapist (CART). Whereas the recovery community tends to focus on the accomplishments of persons in recovery from substance use, RecoveryPeople also recognizes the important role and contributions of affected family members. Joseph’s lived experience and training make him uniquely qualified to recognize and address individual- and family-specific needs.
Joseph’s work with Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Non-Binary (LGBTQ+) individuals the reflects RecoveryPeople’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Joseph facilitates support groups at Foundation 45, a nonprofit that serves the Dallas/Fort Worth creative community by providing free mental health and recovery services. His support groups help LGBTQ+ individuals facing issues ranging from family and societal issues related to coming out, discrimination, expressing identity, mental health and substance use issues. This work is exceptionally important because the LGBTQ+ community is underserved and, due to stigma, are at a higher risk for mental health and substance use cha
llenges.
Joseph also co-hosts a podcast called Life, Lived Better, which is in its second season. Each episode discusses topics that impact well-being. Some discussions are deep, and others are purely for fun. The episodes are a blend of researched facts and personal experiences.
In 2009, Joseph opened his own counseling practice where he supports adolescents, emerging adults and adults along with their family members.
RecoveryPeople extends special recognition and thanks to The Conservatory in Dallas for sponsoring the award.
To learn more about RecoveryPeople and how to donate to our nonprofit, visit recoverypeople.org