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Where did we come from?

The Recovery Academy grew out of research carried out on the Soilse drug rehabilitation project by Keane (2011) and Keane, McAleenan and Barry (2014). The Recovery Academy recognises that recovery has been championed in mental health services and addiction services internationally. We recognise that recovery does not include just drugs but also alcohol and behavioural addictions.
Why do we need a Recovery Academy?
There is huge, international groundswell of support for recovery. The US, UK and Australia are paving the way for a new addiction treatment approach that sees the goal as an independent, drug-free lifestyle. In this approach, the recovering drug addict progresses through the addiction services and is proactively supported to become an active, contributing member of society.

In Ireland, there is a growing interest among addiction workers, some policymakers, but most importantly people in recovery, for a similar approach. The Recovery Academy will empower both people in recovery and communities to advocate for a re-orientation of addiction services along these lines.