Recovery Happens When Communities Refuse to Give Up on People
September is National Recovery Month, a time to recognize the millions of Americans living in recovery from substance use and mental health conditions—and the families, professionals and communities that support them.
It is also an opportunity to challenge a persistent misconception: that recovery is simply a matter of individual determination.
Personal commitment is essential, but recovery rarely happens through willpower alone. It is strengthened by treatment, stable housing, employment opportunities, healthy relationships and people who continue to believe in someone even when that person struggles to believe in themselves.
In other words, recovery requires community.
Substance use disorder can affect anyone, regardless of age, education, income or neighborhood. The numbers reveal both encouraging progress and the distance we still must travel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 79,384 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2024—approximately 217 people every day.
Here in Cuyahoga County, 360 people lost their lives to overdoses in 2025, more than one death per day. Both the national and local figures represented significant declines from the previous year, demonstrating that treatment, prevention and community-based support can save lives. But 419 local deaths are not simply a statistic. They represent family members, friends, coworkers and neighbors whose absence continues to be felt throughout our community.
Stigma often makes the problem worse. It can cause us to define someone by the most difficult chapter of their life rather than recognize their humanity and capacity for change. When people fear being judged, rejected or permanently labeled, they may delay seeking treatment. Families may struggle in silence, and employers may overlook individuals who are ready to rebuild their lives.
We must do better.
At the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, we see the possibilities of recovery every day through Y-Haven, our comprehensive behavioral health and residential treatment program. Since 1993, Y-Haven has helped adults experiencing substance use disorders, mental health challenges and homelessness take meaningful steps toward stability and independence.
Y-Haven provides residential and outpatient treatment, mental health counseling, recovery support, transitional housing, workforce readiness and assistance securing permanent housing. These services recognize a fundamental truth: people cannot focus fully on recovery while worrying about where they will sleep, whether they can find a job or how they will navigate the next crisis alone.
At Y-Haven, our dedicated senior leadership and incredible staff create a community that promotes the recovery of the whole person, consistent with our overall Y philosophy of supporting all that we serve spiritually, mentally and physically. We also see many in our community stepping up to support our clients along this journey.
Treatment can help someone begin recovery. A caring, supportive community helps make recovery sustainable.
The path will not always be straight. Recovery will include setbacks, disappointment and difficult decisions. Supporting someone does not mean ignoring personal responsibility. It means refusing to conclude that a setback is the end of the story.
There is powerful evidence that recovery is possible. According to the federal government’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.5 million American adults considered themselves in recovery or recovered from a problem with alcohol or drugs. Recovery is not a rare exception. It is happening in families and communities across America every day.
Our region is also expanding its ability to respond. On September 14, the new Glick Recovery Campus is scheduled to open in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood, bringing crisis stabilization, immediate mental health treatment and other health services together under one roof. Its opening represents an important community investment in making help available when people need it most.
Every sector has a role to play. Health care organizations can make treatment easier to access. Employers can provide fair opportunities and recovery-supportive workplaces. Policymakers can invest in behavioral health services and stable housing. Community organizations can provide connection and practical assistance. Friends and family members can listen without judgment and encourage people to seek help.
At the YMCA, our mission calls us to strengthen the spirit, mind and body of all people. The word “all” matters. It includes people at their strongest and those facing their hardest days. It includes people beginning recovery, returning to recovery and building new lives through recovery.
During National Recovery Month, let us celebrate those who have taken that courageous journey and thank those who walk beside them. More importantly, let us build a community in which asking for help is seen as a sign of strength and no person is reduced to their past.
People can recover. Families can heal. Lives can be rebuilt. At the YMCA, we appreciate the funders and stakeholders who support our Y-Haven program as we celebrate all the organizations that engage in healthy recovery.
Those outcomes become far more likely when a community makes one simple, powerful commitment: We will not give up on one another.