Member-only story
When Did Behavioral Health Become So BIG That It Stopped Listening? Why I Reject Grants
Residing in a close-knit rural community, I’ve taken on the role of developing a digital recovery platform that offers a wealth of free recovery resources, engaging content, and practical guidance for those on the path to sobriety.
Our grassroots organization also provides a call and text support line, and alongside this, we have a thriving peer-support community on Facebook with nearly 6,000 members, and we are developing a presence on YouTube. We also facilitate our community’s ‘first-ever’ in-person peer support recovery group designed specifically for individuals impacted by addiction who are involved in the Justice system.
Why I Won’t Apply for Grants
One question that often arises is why I’ve chosen not to apply for grants? The answer is simple: I don’t buy into the whole “evidence-based” approach championed by the behavioral health and rehab sector and I prefer that the organization I founded remains autonomous. This allows me to use my voice and my lived life experience as a catalyst for change. Grants for addiction-recovery services are often driven by the forced adoption of “evidence-based” principles, invasive data collection, and the stigmatizing labeling of people as having a disorder, which I appall!
