Vermont Business Magazine Recovery Vermont is proud to announce that Senator Patrick Leahy was awarded the Peter Mallary Legislative Champion Award “for a lifetime of dedication to the health of Vermonters and for his national leadership in serving those with substance use disorder" at their annual Recovery Day at the State House, which was held virtually on February 16, 2022.
The award’s namesake, Peter Mallary, served as the vice president for advocacy for the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery and Recovery Vermont for more than eight years, as a legislator prior to that, and in numerous other capacities in service to Vermont for decades.
While the award typically goes to state legislators or other influential advocates for addiction recovery on the state level – with past recipients including representatives Dave Yacovone, Peter Fagan, and John Killacky - Senator Leahy was a clear choice for this year’s award ahead of his impending retirement following an unparalleled record of achievement and support for the recovery community in Vermont and nationwide over the course of his career.
Among the countless contributions Senator Leahy has made to invest billions of dollars in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery throughout the United States, in 2019, the Senator helped secure $9.5 million from the CDC to track overdoses, strengthen Vermont’s Prescription Drug Monitoring System, and bolster community outreach. Senator Leahy helped to establish the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), providing $130 million in new funding in the fiscal year 2018 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act.
Total funding for RCORP now stands at $460 million since the program’s start. In 2019, Senator Leahy announced that the University of Vermont would receive $6.6 million in RCORP funding to stand up the Center on Rural Addiction, one of three such Centers of Excellence in the nation. The UVM- Center on Rural Addiction serves as a resource for scientific and technical assistance, and provides information and training to clinicians, programs, and policymakers seeking guidance on how to address substance use disorder challenges.
Senator Leahy was one of seven negotiators on the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and authored a provision to help rural communities access Naloxone, a requirement that funding be directed to hardest hit communities, and increased access to MAT.
Perhaps one of the accomplishments that will have the longest legacy, Senator Leahy has played a critical role in securing funds for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants amounting to nearly $2 billion each fiscal year, with the possibility of a significant increase in the next federal budget and a 10% set-aside for recovery, the first of its kind, which will bring unprecedented funding for recovery services.
“Senator Leahy has built his career and his reputation on doing the right thing for Vermonters - for all Vermonters regardless of background or affiliation. He has represented all of us. His commitment to the serious public health issue of substance use disorder exemplifies that. He has led the way in removing barriers and bringing in support so we can help each other and heal. This award couldn't go to a more deserving person, and his leadership will be missed after his upcoming retirement!“ said Peter Espenshade, President and CEO of Recovery Vermont.
In accepting the award, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said: “What an honor to accept the Peter Mallary Legislative Champion Award from Vermont’s brave and committed recovery community. I have the deepest respect for all those who dedicate their work and their lives to supporting Vermonters struggling to overcome substance use disorders. Vermont’s climbing death toll is a grim reminder that there is so much more to do, and I am committed to continuing our productive partnership. For me it has always been important to work with the recovery community over the years in fighting on the Appropriations Committee to make it a priority every year to provide the resources to support Vermonters who are seeking to rebuild their lives.”
You can view Senator Leahy’s acceptance speech here and watch the full recording of Recovery Day 2022 here.
Recovery Vermont is the hub for all things addiction recovery in Vermont. Based in Montpelier, Recovery Vermont is a non-profit organization that supports the recovery workforce by training and certifying all of Vermont's Recovery Coaches, who help thousands of Vermonters per year. Recovery Coaches work in all corners of the state: in all 14 of our major hospitals and 12 Recovery Centers, in employment, corrections, housing, co-occurring mental health services, harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and more. Recovery Vermont is at the forefront of new approaches to addiction recovery and mental health supports, advocating since 1939 for excellent, humane, and readily available recovery and mental health supports. It was also the birthplace and parent organization for a number of now-independent organizations including Camp Daybreak, the Me2Orchestra, the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences, and the Vermont Recovery Network. Recovery Vermont is the home of the Recovery Friendly Workplaces Initiative. We lead a statewide, HRSA-partnered rural workforce initiative. And finally, we are the home of the Vermont Alcohol and Drug Information Clearinghouse, or VADIC. Learn more about us by visiting our website, or getting in touch by email.
Recovery Vermont & VAMHAR 3.7.2022
