DHH Celebrates National Recovery Month with
"Art of Recovery"

State health department holds public art showing    

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011  |  Contact: Lisa R. Faust; (225) 342-7913 or (225) 252-3579 (cell)

BATON ROUGE - Today, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals celebrated the 22^nd annual National Recovery Month with a public art exhibit, the "Art of Recovery," featuring the work of Louisiana residents who are receiving or have received care through the Department's Office of Behavioral Health (OBH).

DHH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said, "The Art of Recovery show is not only a great opportunity for our clients to display their work; it's a chance for the public to gain a greater understanding of behavioral health services and see the great things that can be accomplished through recovery."

Gov. Bobby Jindal proclaimed September as Recovery Month in Louisiana as part of a national effort to highlight individuals who have reclaimed their lives in long-term recovery, as well as honor the service providers who make recovery possible. Recovery Month promotes the message that recovery is possible and every Louisianian can play a role to help expand and improve the availability and acceptance of effective recovery services for those in need.

OBH promotes recovery and resiliency, providing services and supports to individuals with mental illness and addictive disorders in communities across the state. Individuals with serious mental illness have been shown to be at a higher risk for developing a substance abuse disorder, specifically 47 percent of individuals with schizophrenia also had a substance abuse disorder and 61 percent of those with bi-polar disorder also had a substance abuse disorder, according to the research.

"Mental illness and addiction are health care issues, and, as with many other conditions, can benefit from innovative approaches to treatment," said Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham, Office of Behavioral Health Medical Director. "Art therapy has been proven successful in helping individuals with mental illness and addictive disorders. The artists who participated in this show are remarkable examples of the power of recovery."

To learn more about the behavioral services DHH provides, visit www.obh.dhh.la.gov.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH's blog, Twitter account and Facebook.