Thank you for your interest in NCADD-NJ’s Leadership Partner Program.

The “Leadership Partners” program is volunteer based and designed to network community members like yourself with NCADD-NJ’s trained Advocacy Leaders in your area.  The easiest way to do that is to join your Regional Advocacy Team.

What exactly do Leadership Partners do to support advocacy?

Since each “Leadership Partner” cares about different issues pertaining to addiction and can offer expertise, the Leadership Partners each make a unique addition to each Regional Advocacy Team.  Here are some of the things Leadership Partners have experienced so far.

By joining and supporting the NCADD-NJ Advocacy Leaders in your Regional Advocacy Teams it allows you as a community member to:

• Have your voice heard in your community on a local addiction issue.  Leadership partners really help to localize the issues.

• Give you an opportunity to share your story as a family member, person in recovery, friend or ally with a group of like minded individuals.
• Add to the “strength in numbers” mentality of an advocacy movement.
•  Help shape the direction of your team.
• Assist with community outreach and education on addiction issues by promoting your teams work in your area.
• Network people you may know in your community with the Advocacy Leaders to improve awareness on the issues you personally care about.
• Build a relationship with your Elected Official.
• Take part in writing letters to your Elected Officials, visiting their offices, or supporting the Advocacy Leaders when they provide testimony on the issues you care about.
• Put a face an voice on the issues.
• Share your expertise with the group.

Who usually joins as a “Leadership Partner?”

Anybody can join NCADD-NJ as a Leadership Partner on addiction issues.  Some who have joined the program, to use as examples, currently are from:

• Recovery Community (Ex. People in recovery, family members, friends and allies)
• Treatment Providers / Employees / Alumni
• Medication-Assisted Recovery Groups or Individuals
• Recovery Houses / three-quarter houses / Sober Houses / Oxford Houses
• Community Anti-Drug Coalition (CADCA) and prevention Coalitions / Student Groups
• Alcohol and Drug Agency Representatives
• Drug Court staff and/or graduates
• Criminal Justice Reform Advocates
• Medical professionals / Health Care Workers / Social Workers
• Parent Groups (PTA and other) / Family Groups
• Faith Based Organizations / Churches / Synagogues / Mosques, etc.
• Individuals working with Allied Organizations

• You can join your Regional Advocacy Team immediately, although NCADD-NJ encourages you to participate in a one-day leadership partner training that goes into more depth about NCADD-NJ’s Leadership Model, the Regional Team format, and may highlight a number of advocacy skills or issues.
  
  If you are interested in attending one of these trainings please email Akucharski@ncaddnj.org

• There is no specific time commitment in length of service as a Leadership Partner.  We do ask that if you sign up for the Leadership Partner Program that you attend your Regional Advocacy Meetings. (Each team schedules these meetings, which usually occur once every three months.)
• From time to time, there will be campaigns or rallies that are more effective with a strong presence (strength in numbers mentality); therefore Leadership Partners may be asked to attend public events such as hearings, community events, rallies at the Statehouse or during Recovery Month (September), and forums.

Become a leadership partner by joining your regional team by emailing akucharski@ncaddnj.org.  Please include your name and the town you live in so that you may be directed to the correct Regional Team.