BISMARCK, N.D. – Governor Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum will host the sixth annual Recovery Reinvented on Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks and online at recoveryreinvented.com.

The day will focus on turning “Advocacy into Action” through sharing hopeful stories of finding recovery from addiction, empowering individuals to be recovery advocates by enacting local change, and recognizing local organizations and individuals who actively work to end stigma and empower recovery in their own communities.

“National and local thought leaders at this year’s Recovery Reinvented will bring a wealth of knowledge and innovative ideas for how we can build and support strong communities of recovery,” the first lady said. “This year, like every year, we will continue to lift up courageous, inspiring stories of recovery from those with lived experience that provide the hope that people can and do recover from this disease.”

Nearly 2,000 people have registered for the daylong event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and will feature both national and state experts focusing on addiction and recovery. For the first time, local North Dakotans will share their personal stories of recovery during live, on-stage recordings for the Recovery Elevator Podcast, a national platform that helps listeners address their addiction challenges.

The event will also include a Recovery Resources Expo, which will connect people to a wide variety of addiction, recovery and mental health resources from across the state. Information and resources will be available to family members to help guide conversations around addiction and recovery.

Members of the press interested in covering the event can contact Joey Ness at [email protected] for more information or to coordinate interviews with the governor, first lady, or individuals featured in the main event.

Featured speakers include:

• Dr. Bruce Perry, principal of the Neurosequential Network, senior fellow of The ChildTrauma Academy and a professor (adjunct) in the departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and the School of Allied Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Over the last 30 years, Perry, a Bismarck native, has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences, holding a variety of academic positions.

• Carrie Steinseifer-Bates, outreach manager for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Steinseifer-Bates is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming and, more importantly, a person living in long-term recovery from substance use disorder. She got sober in 2012 after multiple stays in treatment and has dedicated her life’s work to helping others find treatment and recovery.

• Philip Rutherford, chief operating officer for Faces & Voices of Recovery. Rutherford is a recovery coach and a passionate member of the recovery community. Rutherford is credited with a significant role in the conception, design, launch and facilitation of the Recovery Data Platform (RDP). This cloud-based platform is the first of its kind and has quickly become a valuable asset in longitudinal data collection for Peer-Based Services.

• Teliea Baker, director of The Door Recovery Lodge in New Town, N.D. Baker is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and currently resides in New Town, where she has been the director of North Segment’s The Door Resource & Recovery Lodge since its opening in 2018. Baker’s ambition and focus came from her six-year battle with heroin and alcohol addiction and experience with the criminal justice system.

Recovery Reinvented is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. For more information on the event or to register, visit recoveryreinvented.com/2022/. Continuing education units are available for those who register and participate in the in-person or online sessions.