Carmen Beatrice Pearman Arlt, LMSW, CAC, CMA 1955 – 2019

National Alliance for Medication Assisted RecoveryPress Release
Contacts Persons: Joycelyn Woods, Executive Director, [email protected]Carmen Pearman-Arlt, President, [email protected]♰Phone/Fax: 1.212.595.NAMA  (1-212-595-62620
For ReleaseMay 6, 2019

64, passed away December 9, 2018 after a long illness.
In the early 1990s NAMA Recovery was mailed an index card with dimes taped to it and a short message saying they could not afford $10 for membership and this was all they had.  It was Carmen Pearman. Like all letters we receive from patients she received a letter back saying that we would rather have her advocacy than money.   
Carmen organized one of our oldest chapters The MAG (Methadone Advocacy Group). One of the things the group decided to do was clean the street around their clinic.  While they were out picking up garbage and sweeping the street when the Reverend from the church across the street came out to warn them about those addicts over there. Carmen explained that they were those addicts. From this encounter patients were given space in the church to set up 12 step groups and to have meetings. The following year there was a big drug conference In Indiana and the chapter acted as the color guard for the governor when he entered the arena. I remember Carmen sending a picture of them all dressed in white shirts, navy bow ties for women and regular ties for men and navy pants.
Carmen went back to school and earned an MSW and was continuing her education a PhD in social work when she became ill.

She received the Dole Nyswander Award (Marie) in 2001 for organizing the state provider organization. The state of Indiana had no representation and clinics saw each other more as competitors than associates working for a common cause. She helped to establish the clinics in their current state organization.The past few years she developed the program for women and children at Porter Starke (Valparaiso, IN) in addition to being President of NAMA Recovery.

She resided in Hanna, Indiana and is survived by two sons: David and Erich and three great-grandchildren.
NAMA Recovery will miss Ms. Pearman’s  dedication and compassion to patients and the field.
(Information for this Press Release was published in the Post Tribune on Feb. 10, 2019.)
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Posted by Joycelyn Woods, Executive Director at 5:33 PMNo comments: