On a cold, rainy day in January, members of the Recovery Café community joined Members of the Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA) from across the state in Olympia for the WRA’s 3rd Annual Recovery Advocacy Day.
The day brought representatives from almost every one of Washington State’s 49 Legislative Districts to advocate on the WRA’s 2018 State Legislative Priorities to our elected officials on both sides of the aisle. This year’s legislative priorities include:
- EXPAND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES
- Allocate funding for the provision of Medicaid-reimbursable Substance Use Disorder peer services
- Allow Criminal Justice Treatment Account funds to be used for recovery support services
- Allow peer-run organizations to bill Medicaid
- IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
- REDUCE BARRIERS TO RECOVERY FOR LOW-LEVEL POSSESSION OFFENSES
You can learn more about the WRA’s legislative
priorities, including the methods for implementation, here.
Our time in Olympia was also a great opportunity to share updates on Recovery Café with our elected representatives. We will continue to work with leaders at every level of government to gain additional support for people who have been traumatized by addiction, homelessness, poverty, and other mental health challenges in need of long-term recovery support.