Write an article about New Illinois Billboard Campaign Aims to Destigmatize Addiction Recovery for Black Men .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from
A new statewide billboard campaign by the Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition hopes to save lives by normalizing recovery and reducing stigma in communities hardest hit by the crisis, announced CRCC CEO Dora Wright (center) (Photo Credit: CRCC).
Black men have become the face of the opioid overdose epidemic, and they’re dying from it the most.
This is especially true in Cook County, where non-Latinx Black individuals accounted for 65% of all opioid-related overdose deaths in Chicago in 2022. Among those deaths, 78% were Black men.
That’s why Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition (CRCC) has launched a statewide billboard campaign to raise awareness around the importance of substance abuse recovery and normalizing treatment as a safe, effective and accessible option for anyone, especially people of color.
And one of the ways it’s bringing that message home is by using billboards to tell real stories of recovery. The other message is that it’s okay to seek treatment if you need it.
Putting a Face on Recovery
“We recognize that through our mission, it’s very important to put a face on recovery and mental health,” said Dora Wright, CEO of CRCC, in an interview with The Defender. “We can no longer hide from the local and federal government in terms of how substance abuse is killing our people in the city, and they shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for help.”
Thanks to a state public awareness grant, the billboard campaign, which runs throughout Illinois, features real stories of folks in recovery. The goal is to make seeking treatment normal while hopefully reducing the stigma in communities most impacted by substance abuse.
Wright, a licensed substance abuse counselor, says that for years, professionals like her weren’t allowed to share their own recovery stories. But that has changed.
“We want to be able to offer a story and provide a safe place,” she said. “Substance use and mental illness are very, very highly stigmatized in the communities that we live in. One of the important elements of this campaign is to have a nonjudgmental way for people to seek help and have a safe space.”
The Crisis in Plain Sight
CRCC is based in Austin, one of Chicago’s West Side communities, where the impact of addiction is hard to ignore.
“If you come through some of our communities, especially in Austin, where we’re located, you see addiction and mental illness. You can’t help but see it, unless you’re blind,” Wright said. “We want to put a face and a voice on recovery, because we know recovery is possible.”
She added: “The numbers have told us that one out of every 10 that seek treatment does not get it. People are dying from substance abuse in our community.”
Why Black Men?
Wright says the targeting of Black men in this campaign is intentional, and long overdue.
“It’s a known fact, as a licensed counselor for years, that Black men are leading the substance abuse overdose crisis, the crack epidemic crisis, the AIDS crisis,” she said. Currently, the state and the federal government are reducing funds for these types of services. Our African American men are in danger—always have been.”
While many assume the crack epidemic faded with the 1990s, Wright said it still exists—and has mutated into something more lethal.
“Fentanyl is now… the crack cocaine is also being laced with fentanyl. We have studies. We have data from the Chicago Department of Public Health and other states that it is still a part of this epidemic.”
One Call Can Make the Difference
The billboards direct people to a 1-800 number that links callers to help based on their location. Whether someone is in Lake County, Chicago, or southern Illinois, the hotline will connect them with a local recovery organization in their area.
“We’re hoping to see an increase in people seeking help and people wanting a safe space,” Wright said. “Everybody doesn’t need treatment. If they need treatment, we will refer them.”
But if they’re just seeking a safe space to talk, “we want them to feel like it’s as normal as going to a clinic for diabetes or hypertension.”
All services provided by CRCC are free and funded by the state.
“If we can get you to treatment, we will get you there,” she said. “Our goal is once you make that phone call, whatever it is that you need, we are going to get you to that place.”
Funding Cuts Could Mean More Deaths
The campaign faces an uncertain future. CRCC’s funding, though recently renewed, is part of a three-year grant that’s at risk due to federal budget cuts.
“The federal government has closed down all of the regional offices,” Wright said, referring to SAMHSA’s Region Five office. “We no longer have the advocacy… any projects that were in the works are gone.”
One of those projects was a plan to expand Narcan distribution to public housing and senior residents. “It’s gone now,” she said.
Without continued support, more lives are at risk.
“As we speak, lives are being lost,” Wright said. “We provide Narcan training, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, transportation to food pantries and treatment centers. All they have to do is call that 1-800 number.”
How to Get Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use or mental health issues, help is available:
- Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition: Call 773-417-2045 or visit www.chicagorecovery.org
- Statewide 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-419-2722 — This number will connect you to a local resource in your community
“The more we get this message out there,” Wright said, “the more lives can be saved in our communities throughout the state.”
Tacuma Roeback, Chicago Defender Managing Editor
Tacuma R. Roeback is the Managing Editor for the Chicago Defender.
His journalism, non-fiction, and fiction have appeared in the Smithsonian Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tennessean, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Phoenix New Times, HipHopDX.com, Okayplayer.com, The Shadow League, SAGE: The Encyclopedia of Identity, Downstate Story, Tidal Basin Review, and Reverie: Midwest African American Literature.
He is an alumnus of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Chicago State University, and Florida A&M University.
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Include conclusion section and FAQs section at the end. do not include the title. it must return only article i dont want any extra information or introductory text with article e.g: ” Here is rewritten article:” or “Here is the rewritten content:”
