NEW YORK, April 13, 2018 – Freedom Institute, the non-profit outpatient recovery center whose mission is to prevent and treat substance abuse and addiction, will host its annual Spring Gala on Wednesday, April 18th at the Mandarin Oriental. This special evening pays tribute to individuals who have had a significant impact on the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Each year, supporters and colleagues in the recovery field gather to honor an individual whose commitment to this field is unwavering with the Mona Mansell Award. Past distinguished honorees include First Lady Betty Ford; Peter Steinglass, Director and President Emeritus of the Ackerman Institute for Families; Tian Dayton, author of Emotional Sobriety and The ACOA Trauma Syndrome, and Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation.
This year Freedom Institute will present the 2018 Mona Mansell Award to actor and author, Alec Baldwin, a longtime supporter of people in recovery, and of Freedom Institute and its mission. In his recently published memoir, Nevertheless, Mr. Baldwin identifies himself as an alcoholic in recovery, an example of not only using his far-reaching public platform to encourage people struggling with addiction, but how open and honest discussion of personal struggles can do so much to diminish the stigma associated with the disease of addiction.
The ceremony will feature guest emcee Dion Flynn, a regular on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” best known as Barack Obama (and 15 other characters). Dion also pioneered and conducts Improv Recovery Workshops for recovering addicts.
Founded in 1976, Freedom Institute (freedominstitute.org) is a Manhattan based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit outpatient treatment and recovery center dedicated to healing individuals and families affected by substance abuse and addiction. A leader in the field, Freedom Institute is one of the only outpatient treatment facilities to combine Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP) with a family systems approach. Their 360-degree, innovative, evidenced-based, multi-generational approach to substance abuse prevention education and treatment ensures that all receive the support they need to heal and lead fulfilling lives.