Phil Valentine – Exec Director Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
Biography
Phil Valentine is the Executive Director for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). He has been an integral component in this Recovery Community Organization since January 1999.
An accomplished author, trainer and presenter, Phil has gained recognition as a strong leader in the recovery community; in 2006 the Johnson Institute recognized his efforts with an America Honors Recovery award.
In 2008, Faces and Voices of Recovery honored CCAR with the first Joel Hernandez Voice of the Recovery Community Award as the outstanding recovery community organization in the country. In 2009, the Hartford Business Journal named him the Non-Profit Executive of the Year. He appears in the documentary “The Anonymous People”, a ground-breaking video that CCAR had the privilege of supporting.
In 2015, Phil completed a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, a journey of 2,189 miles, carrying the message of recovery the entire way (#AT4Recovery).
Other Recovery Community Organizations consistently seek Phil’s experience and expertise on a variety of topics – RCO development, Recovery Community Center development, peer recovery support services, recovery coaching, advocacy and others. Numerous authors have also sought his expertise including Bill White, Christopher Kennedy-Lawford, Dr. John Kelly, Bud Mikhitarian and Melissa Killeen.
Early in his career, Phil spearheaded CCAR’s effort to build a statewide network of Recovery Community Centers that feature innovative peer recovery support services like telephone recovery support, All-Recovery groups and Recovery Works! employment services. Phil was instrumental in the development of CCAR’s highly-acclaimed videos and served as CCAR’s point man for the first seven “Recovery Walks!”, annual walks held for those in support of recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. He has designed and facilitated several trainings and currently, Phil has focused his training efforts on the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy©, Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaches©, Spirituality for Recovery Coaches© and Recovery Coaching for Parents©.
In recovery since December 28, 1987, Phil is the author of “Hooked on Recovery”, a blog that has informed the general public about his personal recovery process. Phil believes that being public about his own recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction helps ease the discrimination surrounding addiction and recovery. He strives to “soften the community” to recovery. A University of Connecticut graduate, he worked experience as a community counselor in a detox/residential treatment setting and in the field of prevention. He is married and has five children. His favorite hobbies are hiking, kayak and surf fishing, golf and movies.