Fund Recovery: Raising money for mental health & substance abuse treatment
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An organization that provides grants to help those who need treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues is making strides and expanding its campaigns.
Since 2011, Fund Recovery has grown from a Nashville-centric nonprofit, to a national organization, donating about $1.9 million and awarding more than 800 scholarships to those in need of assistance.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 is Fund Recovery’s third-annual charity dinner and concert, happening at City Winery in downtown Nashville.
Days before the second-annual dinner, Nashville experienced The Covenant School shooting. About $250,000 was raised at the following Fund Recovery event, providing therapy to about 100 people impacted by the tragedy.
Fund Recovery’s Executive Director Ryan Cain said some of those individuals are still receiving care thanks to the support. The therapy practitioners who have provided services over the past year will be honored at Tuesday night’s event.
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Cain said their waiting list for help is never-ending and mainly for people seeking therapy; however, Cain said they’re seeing an increase in people needing drug and alcohol treatment.
In Davidson County, data from the CDC shows there were 442 overdose deaths from September 2022 to August 2023. For August 2023 alone, that’s 3 fatal overdoses per 100,000 residents.
In response to the staggering numbers, Cain said Fund Recovery’s current focus is reducing the stigma of asking for help. A tactic they use is gathering spokespeople to share their stories, many who are notable athletes and musicians.
“Having people share their stories, people that we look up to, to be willing to say, ‘Hey, you may not know this, but I struggled with anxiety’, or, ‘You may not know this, but I used to have to drink myself to sleep at night, and I finally asked of help, I got the help, and it’s changed my life for the better’,” said Cain. “We want to destigmatize the idea of asking for help, admitting you have a problem.”
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Another goal is increasing Narcan distribution. Narcan is a nasal spray can treat narcotic overdose in an emergency situation.
“We want to urge government to put Narcan out on the streets, not just in a health department,” said Cain. “My goal would be to have Narcan anywhere we go. Convenience stores, restaurants, Dollar General, places like that where people can walk in and get Narcan, no questions asked.”
Fund Recovery’s mission hits home for Cain.
“Someone helped me 12 years ago,” he said. “I was broken, I had lost everything, and someone came in and helped me get treatment and changed my life, and I want to offer that to other people.”
You can help support Fund Recovery by attending and sponsoring events or donating to ongoing campaigns. Applications to receive assistance are available here.
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