|
Richard Lane was a long-term heroin user who, upon release from prison in 1967 helped to start Man Alive, one of the Nation’s first methadone treatment programs. In 1974, he became Executive Director of the program and later served as Vice President of the American Methadone Treatment Association. He served on several committees and was Vice Chairman of the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Maryland. Richard was a passionate advocate for methadone treatment and, by disclosing his own treatment experiences, provided inspiration to patients and professionals alike.
He did more for advancing methadone treatment because he genuinely knew the subject and really, really cared about the underdog. Among the innovations he promoted within the methadone program were on-site alcoholism treatment, protocols for poly-drug abuse, services for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, improved pain management for methadone patients, and fewer restrictions for socially rehabilitated patients on methadone including office based treatment which he did not enroll in himself. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Richard Lane died in 1994.
Robert Holden was also a recovering heroin user and a friend of Richard Lane. He eventually became the Director of PIDARC, an outpatient methadone treatment program in the District Of Columbia. And he also served as the Vice President of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, succeeding Richard Lane’s term of office.
Robert was a different kind of advocate, he was not dynamic like Richard Lane. Robert was quieter but when needed he could speak about how methadone had saved his life and like Richard Robert used his own experience to get the point across. Robert Holden died in 2007 of Bone Marrow Cancer. The award is presented at the AATOD Conference during the Awards Banquet by NAMA Recovery for AATOD. This award was established in 1995 and recognizes extraordinary achievements in patient advocacy. Previous Awardees 1995 Richard Lane 2001 Joycelyn Woods 2007 Anthony Scro 2009 Walter Ginter 2010 Lisa Mojer-Torres Instructions for Nominations
If you have any questions contact: Download |
