Michelle Sandlin Receives Phoenix Award for Her Work in Addiction and Recovery
Whitesburg, KY – Michelle Sandlin, Peer Recovery Coach at Whitesburg ARH recently received the Phoenix Award for her work in addiction and recovery. The Phoenix Award is an award given by the non-profit organization, HEAL (Help End Addiction for Life). HEAL was established in 2018 by founding members Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation (MCHC), ARH, and Addiction Recovery Care (ARC). HEAL is a coalition of over 70 community partners and stakeholders, with the goal to address substance use disorder by strengthening community collaboration, reducing stigma, and empowering those in recovery.
To honor the contributions of community partners, HEAL initiated The Phoenix Award. “The legend of the phoenix is that of beauty and resiliency, a graceful bird that rises from the ashes of defeat. This is exactly what HEAL is trying to accomplish in Letcher County–the transformation of darkness to hope. We, along with all of you, are working to rise from the ashes of addiction to create a better tomorrow,” says Sydney Whitaker, Substance Use Treatment Coordinator at MCHC and HEAL President.
The Phoenix Award is meant to highlight the boots on the ground efforts of those that are often behind the scenes of recovery and addiction.
“We chose Michelle to be a Phoenix Award recipient because she embodies everything the award represents. She is diligent and steadfast in her efforts to guide others to a more promising tomorrow. A true community servant, Michelle inspires others with hope and with a bond of fellowship that is both sincere and hard earned. The impact she has had on those in our community through her role at ARH is beyond measure. We are proud to have her as a HEAL partner!”
Michelle received her award on July 25th at HEAL’s annual Recovery Central Celebration. “We were honored to bear witness to yet another triumph in Michelle’s sobriety journey,” says Whitaker.
Sandlin began her recovery in 2017, which began in the Letcher County Drug Court program. “Honestly, I didn’t believe in myself enough to think I would complete the program. I had been using substances for 32 years and just couldn’t see myself really, truly free of it,” says Sandlin. “Addiction is a very lonely place to live and hard to believe that people want to actually help.”
Sandlin soon realized that she had a support group that wanted to see her succeed. “I found out that people truly wanted to help me and that the support was there if I would just work with it and not against it. Taking advantage of the opportunity to get clean was the best thing I have ever done!”
Sandlin began as a housekeeper at Whitesburg ARH in 2018 and in 2020 became the Peer Recovery Coach. “I never dreamed in a million years I would have came so far in this amount of time. I also never thought I would be receiving this award and having the ability to help so many people who are where I was. I didn’t see hope in my future, felt alone, and not worthy of love. I can say today, the opposite of all of that is true.”
Join ARH in congratulating Sandlin on her achievement in receiving the Phoenix Award, but also for 7 years of recovery in October!