Annual Awards

RecoveryPeople Annual Awards

In celebration of Recovery Month, RecoveryPeople annually recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions towards supporting recovery from substance use and related mental health challenges.

Timeline:

  • Nominations open on June 15th
  • Nominations close on August 1st
  • Winners announced in September -- Recovery Month!
Submit a Nomination

Award Categories and Criteria

Lifetime Achievement

Lifetime Achievement is awarded to an individual in recognition of their life’s work promoting recovery from substance use and related mental health challenges. Nominations are solicited from the Board and staff. The award recipient must:

  1. Publicly self identify as a person in recovery from substance use or co-occurring issues and/or an affected family member in recovery; AND
  2. Demonstrate accomplishments that reflect RecoveryPeople's mission, vision, and values.
Lifetime Achievement Winners

Change Maker of the Year

Change Maker of the Year (Formerly known as the Person of the Year Award) is awarded to an individual who may or may not be in recovery themselves and who has made significant and positive change to substance use and related mental health recovery research, rights, access, policy or the ecosystem.  Nominations are solicited from the recovery community. The award recipient must: 

  • Have made a significant and positive change to substance use and related mental health recovery research, rights, access, policy or the ecosystem; AND
  • Demonstrate accomplishments that reflect RecoveryPeople's mission, vision, and values.
Change Maker Winners

Peer of the Year

Peer of the Year is awarded to an individual or affected family member that has promoted or directly supported others in recovery from substance use and related mental health challenges using their lived experience and/or recovery support training. Nominations are solicited from the recovery community. The award recipient must:

  1. Publicly self identify as a person in recovery from substance use or co-occurring issues and/or an affected family member in recovery;
  2. Be, at the time of the nomination, a recovery advocate, a direct recovery service provider (e.g. Peer Specialist or Recovery House Manager), and/or a recovery workforce instructor or supervisor; AND
  3. Demonstrate accomplishments that reflect RecoveryPeople's mission, vision, and values.
Peer of the Year Winners

Media Award of the Year

Media Award of the Year honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions in print, radio, podcasts, video, television, social media and/or online publications that provided information to the general public about substance use and related mental health challenges. Nominations are solicited from the recovery community. The award recipient must:

  1. Demonstrate leadership in their respective media area by accurately portraying individuals and/or affected family members in recovery from substance use and/or co occurring mental health challenges;
  2. Responsibly use persons and/or affected family members as resources;
  3. Decreased stigma, increased understanding or awareness, spread hope of recovery and/or effectively communicate the impact of policy decisions; AND
  4. Demonstrate accomplishments that reflect RecoveryPeople's mission, vision and values.
Media Award Winners

2021 Peer of the Year

PRESS RELEASE Norma Reyes Named RecoveryPeople’s 2021 Peer of the Year In recognition of her direct support to persons in recovery, RecoveryPeople is excited to announce Norma Reyes as our…

2021 Person of the Year

PRESS RELEASE Chris Bailey Named RecoveryPeople’s 2021 Person of the Year In recognition of his contributions to the recovery movement, RecoveryPeople is excited to announce Christopher Bailey as our 2021…

2021 Lifetime Achievement Award

PRESS RELEASE Dillon West Receives RecoveryPeople’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award In recognition of his life’s work in the recovery movement, RecoveryPeople is excited to announce Dillon West as the recipient…