The Joel Hernandez Award recognizes one local, state or regional recovery community organization for its success in assessing the specific needs of their community and carrying out a vision and mission of mobilizing resources within and outside the recovery community to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. The organization that is chosen to receive the Joel Hernandez Award will be given a $2,000 award at the reception on June 27, 2012.
| Nominations are due | March 30, 2012 |
| Honorees Announced | April 27, 2012 |
| America Honors Recovery evening reception | June 27, 2012 |
Local, state or regional recovery community organizations that are led and governed by representatives of the recovery community - people in long-term recovery, their families, friends and allies - that support all pathways to recovery and focus activities on the following three strategies:
- Public Education: educating the public, policymakers, media, and others about the reality and promise of recovery to change public attitudes
- Policy Advocacy: advocating for local, state, and federal public policies that support long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs
- Making peer-based and other recovery support services available and accessible to build leadership and support long-term recovery
- Previous recipients of the Joel Hernandez Award may not be re-nominated.
- Organizations that have been nominated in previous years may be nominated again.
- Organizations are not required to be independent entities or 501(c) 3 organizations.
- Employees of Faces & Voices of Recovery and Hazelden Foundation, their immediate families and current board of directors and their families and organizations are not eligible.
- The recipient will be expected to attend The American Honors Recovery award reception on June 27, 2012 in Washington, DC, all expenses paid.
Nominations for the Joel Hernandez Award are welcomed from the organization’s staff (including the Executive Director), board members or members of that organization, and other individuals or organizations. The nominator should be someone who is well acquainted with the nominated organization and can accurately discuss the overall mission of the organization as well as specific operations and activities that advance its mission. Please download this form to submit a nomination. A complete nomination form includes:
- Nomination Recommendation
- Nominated Organization Description
- 2 References and Contact Information
If you wish, you may send additional supporting documents. Please note any supporting information will not be returned.
Nomination Recommendation
Please use the Nomination Form to address the following points:
- Explain in what capacity and for how long you have known and/or been affiliated with the nominated organization.
- Describe how the organization prioritizes representing the diversity of the recovery community, people in long-term recovery, their families, friends and allies, and supports all pathways to recovery.
- Describe in detail how the organization is educationg the public, advocating for improved policies, and serving the recovery community to advance opportunities for long-term recovery from addiction. Provide specific examples of the activities employed in these strategies, the challenges faced and how they were overcome, and evidence of achieving success or a victory.
Nominated Organization Description
Please use the Nomination Form to provide a description of the nominated organization that is no more than 2 pages long and includes:
- History of the organization
- Mission or Purpose and Goals Statements
- Awards and honors
- Only organizations may be nominated for the Joel Hernandez Award. To nominate an individual for the Vernon Johnson Award, click here.
- All nominations must be postmarked by March 30, 2012
- We encourage you to email complete nomination packets to info@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org with the subject title: “Joel Hernandez award nomination”
- You may mail packets to Faces & Voices of Recovery, 1010 Vermont Ave., NW, #618, Washington, DC 20005.
- Incomplete nominations will not be processed.
- Only one nomination per individual accepted.
A selection committee comprised of members of the Faces & Voices of Recovery and Hazelden Foundation Board of Directors will decide on the recipient based on the selection criteria outlined in the Nomination Guidelines and Requirements.
All nominations will be acknowledged by email. The organization receiving the award will be contacted directly by the selection committee and will be honored at the America Honors Recovery evening reception in Washington, DC on June 27, 2012.
Faces & Voices of Recovery and Hazelden's Center for Public Advocacy have joined together to host America Honors Recovery honoring the legacies of Joel Hernandez and Vernon Johnson. For questions, please email or call Jerry Gillen at (202)737-0690.