See the honorees at Vermont Recovery Day next week

Policymakers and advocates will talk about efforts to promote addiction recovery in Montpelier next week, according to a community announcement from the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.

The Recovery Day event is set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Supreme Court auditorium in Montpelier, 111 State St. The event aims to highlight the importance of building recovery systems around individuals rather than isolated sectors, according to the announcement.

Patty McCarthy, CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery and a nationally recognized recovery leader, will be the keynote speaker. Her experience includes advocating for recovery-oriented systems of care and federal policy changes, as well as efforts to reduce stigma surrounding addiction.

Several individuals will be recognized for their contributions to recovery efforts in Vermont:

• Kimberly Blake will receive a lifetime achievement award for her work in harm reduction and compassionate care.
• Nels Kloster will also receive a lifetime achievement award for his efforts to expand access to treatment and promote coordinated, person-centered care.
• Sara Byers will receive the Tammy Bushell Recovery-Friendly Workplace Award for fostering recovery-friendly workplace cultures and values.
• Isaac Dayno will receive the Peter Mallary Legislative Champion Award for his leadership in advancing recovery supports within the state’s correctional system.
• Katy Leffel will receive the Dr. Mark Depman Trailblazer Award for her leadership in perinatal health, overdose prevention and cross-sector collaboration.
• Benjamin Lerner will receive the Jack Barry Communications Award for using storytelling and music to reduce stigma and inspire hope.

The event is open to the public and welcomes individuals and families directly affected by substance use and mental health challenges.

American Sign Language interpretation will be provided throughout the event, and organizers encourage inquiries about additional access needs to ensure full participation.

The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, in collaboration with Recovery Partners of Vermont, is organizing the event. Registration details and more information are available at https://vamhar.org/rd2026.

Sponsors include the Vermont Department of Health Division of Substance Use, Central Vermont Prevention Coalition & Central Vermont Medical Center and the 802 Scoops Podcast.

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.