Maui health agency recognizes vital employees on 30th anniversary of National Addiction Professionals Day

The 30th anniversary of National Addiction Professional Day is Sept. 20 and comes at a time when overdose rates are soaring across the country.

Maui Behavioral Health Resources and its three agencies – Aloha House, Malama Family Recovery Center and Maui Youth & Family Services – recognize the vital role its own addiction professionals play in the health system and continuum of care.

One of those vital addiction professionals is Roxanne Feiteira, a program coordinator at Malama Family Recovery Center. She personally knows how important addiction professionals are because she used to be an addict.

“My journey with Malama Family Recovery Center started on Aug. 4, 2012,” she said in a news release. “I was 26 years old and addicted to meth and prescription pills. My two children lived with my parents. And, I no longer cared if I lived or died. Malama changed that for me. This program gave me the tools, the support and most importantly, the confidence in myself that I needed to stay clean. The staff here made me see that I am worth it.” 

Almost 10 years later, Feiteira is off drugs and a staff member.

“I get to be a part of the team that brings love and light to the women and children in our community,” she said. “I get to help show women that they are worth it. They deserve to be happy, healthy and free of drugs and alcohol. We care and we are here.”

National Addiction Professional Day was started in 1992 by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors to commemorate the hard work that addiction professionals do on a daily basis.

As a local substance abuse and mental health services organization, Maui Behavioral Health Resources helped nearly 8,000 individuals and families in the Maui community in 2021.

“We are proud of our amazing team,” said Jud Cunningham, CEO of Maui Behavioral Health Resources. “Each addiction treatment specialist is dedicated to helping clients, working endlessly to make them feel safe and cared for. Recovery practices and evidence-based treatment is vital to our community.”

National Addiction Professionals Day is held annually in September as a part of National Recovery Month, which aims to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders and to celebrate people in recovery. 

If you or someone you know needs assistance with a substance abuse disorder, help is confidential and available 24/7.

For more information on Maui Behavioral Health Resources, the three associated agencies or behavioral health and substance abuse services visit www.mbhr.org or call 808-579-8414.