Last Friday, September 13th, Wayne County Mayor Jim Mangubat signed a proclamation declaring the month of September 2019 as National Recovery Month in Wayne County. Present for the signing of the Proclamation were local law enforcement officers, church leaders, and members of the Wayne County Prevention Coalition.
The Wayne County Prevention Coalition states that their mission is to reduce and prevent substance abuse through awareness, collaboration, and education. They strive to unite individuals, families, and organizations through community and faith-based initiatives that empower, educate, and advocate for a chemical-free lifestyle. The coalition is open to professionals as well as laymen and family members who are concerned about the growing epidemic in Wayne County and who are willing to work, in cooperation, towards solutions. Their next meeting will be on Monday, September 30th, at 6 p.m. at the Waynesboro Methodist Church.
The Proclamation signed by County Mayor Mangubat read as follows:
“WHEREAS, recovery from mental and substance use disorders, including co-occurring disorders, is an essential part of health and one’s overall wellness; and
WHEREAS, treatment and recovery services for mental and substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders is effective, and people can and do recover in our area and around the nation; and
WHEREAS, addressing and overcoming mental and substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders is essential to achieving healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally; and
WHEREAS, we must encourage relatives and friends of people with mental and substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders to implement preventive measures, recognize the signs of a problem, and encourage those in need of help to seek appropriate treatment and recovery support services; and
WHEREAS, so many people in Tennessee are affected by these conditions, and
WHEREAS, to help more people with lived experiences achieve and sustain recovery, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Wayne County Helping Hands and Wayne County Prevention Coalition invite all residents of Wayne County, Tennessee to participate in National Recovery Month; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I Jim Mangubat, County Mayor, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of Tennessee do hereby proclaim the month of September 2019, as National Recovery Month in Wayne County and call upon the people of Wayne County to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies to support this year’s Recovery Month theme, Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Recovery Month observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two-hundred and forty-fourth.”
Signed, Wayne County Mayor Jim Mangubat
