The African American recovery community in the United States is comprised of peer-led, peer-run, and peer-driven organizations that have been instrumental in addressing the unique challenges faced by BIPOC people in their journey towards recovery. This landscape work has been a critical component in achieving successful outcomes and creating a supportive community for individuals and families who are struggling with addiction. These organizations Leaders have played a significant role in shaping the national discourse on addiction and recovery, and their impact will continue to be felt for generations to come. The panel will outline the implicit biases that existed historically, the current landscape of accomplishments, and closing will outline future solutions based around a policy brief development by the panelist.
Anita Bradley, MSW, Chairperson
Anita Bradley is the founder and Executive Director of the Northern Ohio Recovery Association. Its acronym is NORA. Anita is a graduate of Kent State and Cleveland State Universities. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies and a master’s degree from Cleveland State, respectively. Bradley founded the Northern Ohio Recovery Association in 2004 to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs utilizing a holistic healing and recovery approach. Her vision is to establish innovative care to support continued recovery in communities throughout Northeast Ohio. In December of 2014 the organization celebrated its ten-year anniversary.Bradley has been in recovery for over 34 years and understands the importance and magnitude of blending personal and professional knowledge to promote the power and possibility of recovery. Ms. Bradley served on the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment from 2004-2010 under the Bush Administration. In 2014 she extended the expertise on substance abuse to the administration of President Barack Obama. Throughout an impressive career, more than two decades, Anita has served as a clinician and administrator; she specializes in community organizing, program planning and program development. April 2016, Bradley was honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for the many programs she has created in the Addiction Recovery field. Bradley has also been honored by National Faces and Voices of Recovery as the Joel Hernandez recipient in 2016. In 2016 Ms. Bradley was the Cavaliers Hometown Hero. She has also been nominated twice by Cleveland Smart Business for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 and Smart Business 50 award 2016. Most recently Ms. Bradley is being recognized in 2017 for Cleveland Heights Ohio Alumni Foundation (1983) Hall of Fame and UHCAN Ohio Health Care for All as an outstanding healthcare leader of Ohio.Before founding NORA in 2004 Bradley was the Executive Director of Compass House, Inc. located in Lorain, Ohio. There she lent her skills, talent and management style to the county’s largest residential treatment center. With oversight of a 6.0 million dollar budget her responsibilities included oversight of a 65-member staff, more than 50 volunteers. During her tenure, she was successful in garnering funding and cultivating a statewide network, statewide trainings and relationships within in the service system; writing and administering grants; enforcing service standards and policies in addition to monitoring agency performance of the Board of Trustee and agency funding partners. Ms. Bradley has won over $40 million dollars in Federal Funds over a 19 year time period. She continues to promote and ensure a continuum of recovery by sustaining a peer recovery model that is both paramount and essential to on-going sobriety.Ms. Bradley is the recipient of local leadership and volunteer service awards in the substance abuse profession. She was the inspirational catalyst who organized a public Recovery Month event called the Recovery Motorcycle Ride, which has stimulated the planning of other yearly recovery and substance abuse prevention events. In addition to her many professional accolades, Anita remains loyal to her roots, initiating several AA groups, in Northeast Ohio, which continue. Anita Bradley is a tremendous voice and advocate for women and faithfully demonstrates that advocacy is the critical link between treatment, recovery, and the rest of the world. Similarly, she continues “Building Recovery into Diverse Globally Effective Systems,” or BRIDGES of HOPE, to offer culturally relevant consumer choices, presented with dignity and respect to youth, adults, and families in communities throughout Ohio.
Andre Johnson, PhD, Presenter
Dr. Andre L. Johnson is the President/CEO of the Detroit Recovery Project Inc. Dr. Johnson's dissertation, is entitled, “The Importance of Empathy and Resiliency among African American Men in Long-term Recovery with 10+ years from Substance Use Disorder”. He has also co-authored, Peer resilience in the face of COVID-19: Exploring resilience in the peer recovery specialist role and its impact on their recovery during the pandemic. As a substance used disorder expert, I used my lived experience of substance use and recovery to support undeserved minority individuals who face the greatest barriers to care. I have contributed in various publications, including The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (www.elsevier.com/locate/jsat) and The Opioid Crisis and the Black/African American Population: an Urgent Issue, prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity, where I shared my substance use consulting expertise and insights.
Nyla Christian, NCIP, Presenter
Nyla Christian is a Professional Interventionist & Recovery Development Consultant working to provide a community voice on diversity, equity and inclusion in women’s empowerment issues related to prevention,treatment, and recovery in the wellbeing, substance misuse, and behavioral health space.
As the Executive Director of Center for African American Recovery Development, Nyla leads a national team of African American subject matter experts that have over 100 years of experience in developing African American led Recovery Community Organizations.
Nyla is a Nationally Certified Life Recovery Coach and the Founder of LivingWell Project Recovery Community Organization- a virtual women's development network focused on providing social advocacy, peer leadership and mentorship, and life building support for women in the BIPOC community;
Certified as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist & Advocate, and the CEO of Life Inspired Development-Nyla guides local, state, and national stakeholders in building community-based supportive programming, focusing on diverse inclusion in behavioral health and wellness services. As event panelist and keynote speaker, conference host and facilitator, subject matter and industry expert, Nyla brings forward the voice of relevant cultural experience which expands the bridge to recovery for women trapped in negative life cycles;
An active member of The National Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Nyla is a Member of theBoard of Directors of Center for Southern Nevada’s Vegas
Stronger Coalition, and The Nevada Certification Board's Peer Advisory Committee. She has served as Lead for City of Las Vegas’ Mayor’s Faith Initiative Addiction & Recovery Task Force as well as a Member of the Board of Directors for the P.A.C.T. Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (Prevention,Advocacy, Choices & Teamwork).
Nyla is powerful Inspirational Speaker creating a supportive and diverse lifebridge and support network for women trapped in negative cycles through coaching, training, education, stigma reduction, community cultural awareness, and social advocacy.
Jonathan Lofgren, PhD, Presenter
Jonathan Lofgren, Ph.D., LADC, is a Full-Time Unlimited Faculty in the Addiction Counseling Program at Minneapolis College. He is also the Founding Board Member of The Center for African American Recovery Development and has 35 years of experience in Addiction Treatment, Recovery, and Education fields.