Interview with Phil Valentine

<p>Phil Valentine is the Executive Director for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR).&nbsp;He has been an integral component in this Recovery Community Organization since January 1999.&nbsp;An accomplished author, trainer and presenter Phil is widely recognized as leader in the new recovery advocacy movement.&nbsp;Phil is known to carry the message of recovery through storytelling, humor and wit.&nbsp;In 2006, the Johnson Institute recognized his efforts with an America Honors Recovery award.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2008, Faces and Voices of Recovery honored CCAR with the first Joel Hernandez Voice of the Recovery Community Award as the outstanding recovery community organization in the country.&nbsp;In 2009, the Hartford Business Journal named him the Non-Profit Executive of the Year.&nbsp;He appears in the documentary “The Anonymous People”, a groundbreaking video that CCAR had the privilege of supporting. In 2015, Phil thruhiked the Appalachian Trail, a journey of 2,189 miles and carried the message of recovery the entire way (#AT4Recovery).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>People consistently seek Phil’s experience and expertise on a variety of topics – Recovery Community Organization development, Recovery Community Center development, peer recovery support services, recovery coaching, advocacy and others.&nbsp;Numerous authors have included his perspective in their writings; for example, Bill White, Christopher Kennedy-Lawford, Dr. John Kelly, Bud Mikhitarian and Melissa Killeen. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Early in his career, Phil spearheaded CCAR’s effort to build a statewide network of Recovery Community Centers that feature innovative peer recovery support services like telephone recovery support, All-Recovery groups and Recovery Works! employment services.&nbsp;Most recently, CCAR implemented the Emergency Department Recovery Coach project with dramatic, positive results. Phil was instrumental in the development of CCAR’s highly-acclaimed videos and served as CCAR’s point man for the first seven “Recovery Walks!",