Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is encouraging Pennsylvanians to take part in the Shapiro Administration’s In Our Town community engagement initiative that reduces the stigma around substance use disorder (SUD) by recording video messages about their own SUD recovery journey or in support of someone else’s recovery who lives in their community and sharing those messages through social media platforms.
The initiative is designed to highlight the role of community support in making recovery from SUD possible. In Our Town aims to reduce stigma around SUD and reinforce that recovery is not only possible but supported in towns and neighborhoods across the state by elevating real, everyday moments of care and connection through story-sharing.
“Support takes many forms; sometimes it’s helping someone find a treatment program, other times it’s a ride, a conversation, or simply letting someone know they’re not alone,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “These moments matter, and they’re happening every day in towns across Pennsylvania. With In Our Town, we are providing an opportunity to elevate how Pennsylvanians are there for one another, whether it’s through words of encouragement or sharing their own recovery story, and how that can change minds and attitudes toward SUD stigma.”
In Our Town is part of DDAP’s larger anti-stigma campaign, Life Unites Us, that uses social media platforms to share stories of Pennsylvanians living in recovery from SUD.
Life Unites Us is a people-forward, research-driven campaign that uses social media to spread stories of individuals in recovery, their family members, and allies who support those with SUD. It is a collaboration between DDAP, Penn State Harrisburg’s Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, Shatterproof, and PGP, also known as The Public Good Projects.
“Recovery happens in every town across Pennsylvania—in our coffee shops, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods where people feel truly seen and supported. With the launch of In Our Town, we are highlighting the quiet, everyday moments of connection and support that happen right here in our own backyards,” said Director of Penn State's Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research Dr. Weston Kensinger. “As part of the Life Unites Us campaign, this initiative serves as a powerful reminder that when we trade judgment for care, we build a community where everyone can thrive. Recovery is a reality in Pennsylvania, and it is a reality we all help sustain by simply being there for one another.”
In addition, through Life Unites Us, DDAP recently awarded more than $100,000 to community-based organizations serving Fayette, Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Montour, Columbia, Tioga, Potter, Bradford, and Philadelphia counties to assist with their efforts in reducing stigma associated with SUD. The funding will be used to increase favorable attitudes toward treating SUD with medication, reach specific populations in places they are familiar with to expand their knowledge and comfort levels with evidence-based treatment and overdose response, and provide more recovery resources and supports to LGBTQ populations. Those organizations are also participating in the In Our Town initiative.
“Support shows up in many ways in real, everyday moments,” said Shannon Ashe, MSW, LCSW and Co-founder of The Everywhere Project, an In Our Town participating organization. “Whether it’s offering resources, reducing risk, supporting someone in making changes, or just being there without judgment, these interactions matter. Progress looks different for everyone, and community support can save lives.”
“Engagement initiatives like In Our Town are important because they help highlight the progress happening across our state every day,” said Shatterproof Senior Program Manager Ashley Narvaez, who supports the community engagement arm of the Life Unites Us campaign. “By showing how we continue to support our loved ones and neighbors, we help create communities where healing and recovery can feel possible.”
How to Participate in Your Town
From now until May 31, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to participate in the In Our Town community engagement initiative by:
- Sharing their own story of recovery and/or support using the hashtag #InOurTown and tagging @LifeUnitesUsPA;
- Engaging with and amplifying other In Our Town content on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok; and,
- Helping spread awareness that recovery is possible and supported locally by resharing free Life Unites Us content to their own social media pages.
“At its core, In Our Town is about recognizing that recovery doesn’t happen in isolation,” said Jennifer Sittig, PGP Vice President of Communications. “Across Pennsylvania, neighbors, friends, and families are already showing up for one another in small, and large, ways. This initiative provides space to shine a light on those moments and reminds people that support matters and is available to those who need it.”
To date, Pennsylvanians in Allegheny, Berks, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties are participating in In Our Town, including Carmen Albrecht who has been in recovery for more than 20 years and works in the SUD treatment field.
“During the struggle with addiction for more than 10 years, one of the deepest wounds did not come only from the drugs, but from the stigma that surrounded me,” said Carmen Albrecht, In Our Town Berks County participant. “I have spent 18 years working in the field, walking alongside people who are living what I once lived. Every day I see how stigma continues to be a huge barrier for those seeking help. That’s why I speak about this because no one should be defined by their worst moments. Recovery is possible when we replace judgment with compassion.”
Changing Minds and Attitudes
During the fourth year of the Administration’s Life Unites Us campaign, Pennsylvanians saw these stigma-related messages through social media more than nine million times, reaching nearly two million individuals statewide. Additional statistics include:
- More than 360 individuals in recovery, family members, and allies recorded or submitted testimonials that were shared on the campaign’s website and social media channels.
- Life Unites Us partnered with over 200 community-based organizations with stigma-reduction resources and messaging.
In addition, Life Unites Us launched an initiative last year during the holiday season like In Our Town. That initiative, Hope Unites Us, was centered on inspiring hope and connection through story sharing to reduce SUD stigma during the time of year that can often be difficult for individuals in recovery. Hope Unites Us stigma-reduction content reached one million individuals statewide and was seen by Pennsylvanians more than three million times.
A recent survey of Pennsylvanians who have been exposed to the campaign since its inception shows that Life Unites Us:
- Increased their awareness of opioid use disorder (OUD) stigma;
- Helped them feel more prepared to talk with others about OUD stigma;
- Increased their willingness to obtain and provide naloxone; and,
- Helped to change attitudes about using medications to effectively treat OUD.
Individuals can learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s SUD initiatives and resources on DDAP’s website.
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