by GRI | Oct 19, 2025 | Board Members
Founding chair of Foundation for Opioid Response Effort (FORE)
Andrea Grubb Barthwell, M.D., D.F.A.S.A.M., is the Founder of Encounter Medical Group, P.C., she manages and consults through the global health care policy firm, EM Global, and is Director at Two Dreams, a comprehensive alcoholism and addiction treatment system. Reflecting her long-term commitment to individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), she was named as the founding Chair of the Board of the Foundation for Opioid Response Effort (FORE) with a $100 million endowment.
Dr. Barthwell served as Deputy Director for Demand Reduction in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2004. As a member of the President’s sub-cabinet, Dr. Barthwell was a principal advisor on policies aimed at reducing the demand for illicit drugs.
Dr. Barthwell’s current work is focused on developing strategies to expand access to treatment for opioid use disorder, expanding practitioner knowledge of urine drug testing in the identification and treatment of substance use disorders, and helping individuals and families prevent substance use disorders.
Dr. Barthwell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wesleyan University and a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. Following post-graduate training at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University Medical Center, she began her practice in the Chicago area. She was a founding member of the Chicago Area AIDS Task Force, hosted a weekly local cable show on AIDS, and was president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
In 2003, Dr. Barthwell received the Betty Ford Award from the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse. In 1997, Dr. Barthwell’s peers named her one of the “Best Doctors in America” in addiction medicine.
by GRI | Oct 19, 2025 | Board Members
Associate Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Medical Educator, Recovery Coach, Recovery Coach Training Consultant
Ray Baker is associate Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia., certified in both Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
He designed and directed the first comprehensive Addiction Medicine Curriculum at University of British Columbia’s Medical School. From 1993 to 1997 he represented Canada on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Dr Baker served as principal author for British Columbia first standards of practice in Addiction Medicine, adopted as policy by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. He served as principal author of the Medical Rules for Safety Critical Railway Workers with Substance Use Disorders, in force for over a decade in Canada’s Railway Industry. He has served as principal investigator on a major research project for the World Health Organization and in several stage 2-4 clinical trials investigating experimental treatments for smoking cessation, cocaine dependence, obesity and chronic back pain. As a member of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use Research Expert Advisory Committee he helped design, implement and interpret Canada’s Life in Recovery Survey in 2016.
He has testified in provincial and Supreme court, arbitration and disciplinary hearings as an expert witness in areas of Addiction Medicine (medical, neurobiological, pharmacological, psychological and social effects of mood-altering substances), chronic pain and the other invisible disabilities. For more than 30 years his primary focus was on occupational addiction medicine, the interface between addictions, the workplace, organized labor, employees and their families.
In 2022 he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine.
Ray is a person in active long-term recovery from addiction.
Associate Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Medical Educator, Recovery Coach, Recovery Coach Training Consultant
Ray Baker is associate Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia., certified in both Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
He designed and directed the first comprehensive Addiction Medicine Curriculum at University of British Columbia’s Medical School. From 1993 to 1997 he represented Canada on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Dr Baker served as principal author for British Columbia first standards of practice in Addiction Medicine, adopted as policy by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. He served as principal author of the Medical Rules for Safety Critical Railway Workers with Substance Use Disorders, in force for over a decade in Canada’s Railway Industry. He has served as principal investigator on a major research project for the World Health Organization and in several stage 2-4 clinical trials investigating experimental treatments for smoking cessation, cocaine dependence, obesity and chronic back pain. As a member of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use Research Expert Advisory Committee he helped design, implement and interpret Canada’s Life in Recovery Survey in 2016.
He has testified in provincial and Supreme court, arbitration and disciplinary hearings as an expert witness in areas of Addiction Medicine (medical, neurobiological, pharmacological, psychological and social effects of mood-altering substances), chronic pain and the other invisible disabilities. For more than 30 years his primary focus was on occupational addiction medicine, the interface between addictions, the workplace, organized labor, employees and their families.
In 2022 he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine.
Ray is a person in active long-term recovery from addiction.
by GRI | Oct 19, 2025 | Board Members
GRI Vice Chair – Sober Companion/Recovery Coach, Next Level Recovery Services
Sean Dugan is a professional in the recovery field. His own chemical dependency recovery spans over 30 years and continues with a fervent passion to share his experience, strength and hope through his dedication and commitment.
A graduate of Long Beach State University with a major in Television and Radio, he has held jobs in many communication capacities.
Currently, Sean manages his own consultant business, Next Level Recovery Services with other associates, all with long term years of sobriety.
Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation supports trailblazing and innovative techniques and methods to continue and evolve its success in this field. Similarly,
Sean through his extensive sober experience compliments these efforts by his own open-minded approach to recovery.
by GRI | Sep 19, 2025 | Initiatives
GRI is working with AmeriCorps to develop a staged rollout and timeline for Recovery Corps and develop resources for the private-match funding needed to deploy Recovery Corps members across the country. Recovery Corps members will build the infrastructure and increase the service capacity of community-based non-profits to deliver recovery support services.
Background: Over the past several years, GRI has funded and guided the development of a model Recovery Corps program within AmeriCorps with the Minnesota State AmeriCorps Commission, ServeMinnesota. It was successfully tested in Minnesota and is now ready to deploy to additional states through ServeMinnesota.
ServeMinnesota, with our help, recruited people of all ages to serve in Recovery Corps. The service members were placed in local organizations providing direct services to people in the early phases of their recovery to increase access to services and to strengthen the infrastructure of these organizations. The model engaged 12 different recovery organizations and all Corps members received training, collected data and participated in evaluations of the model.
AmeriCorps Commissions are appointed by the governor in every state. They apply for federal and state funding for each of their corps programs. Once the public money is secured, the state commissions engage local non-profits who would like an AmeriCorps member—in our case, a Recovery Corps member—to serve in their organization. The local organizations are asked to match the public funds needed to support each Corps member for a year of service. Since most existing recovery organizations operate with small budgets, GRI has committed to raising the private match on their behalf.
Objectives
- Work with AmeriCorps and Serve Minnesota to determine a rollout timeline.
- Seek targeted publications to review the Recovery Corps model results.
- Educate and engage public, private, and pop culture leaders in support of the Recovery Corps Model as a response to COVID.
- Engage recovery movement leaders in educating and engaging their membership and followers in recruiting both Recovery Corps Members and sites for placement.
- In late 2021, engage the 12 cities that will host the first leg of the national tour of the “Heroin Diaries” musical to include Recovery Corps in their recovery strategies.
by GRI | Sep 18, 2022 | Initiatives
2022 Recovery Research Summit: Advancing a Recovery-Ready Nation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1j4NNdJJtE&list=PLJRaWHsgnHXHo6NVE229uR-U0wfBZn4Bz
Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI) hosted the 2022 Recovery Research Summit: Advancing a Recovery-Ready Nation in partnership with our leading sponsor Fors Marsh Group (FMG) on September 14 and 15, 2022. This invitation-only event was free to attend and was be conducted virtually via Zoom.
Background – GRI convened the inaugural recovery research summit, Assessing Progress and Setting Priorities in Recovery Research, on July 27, 2020. This inaugural gathering brought together more than 200 participants—including recovery researchers, academic institutions, private funders, corporations, and senior government officials from HHS, ONDCP, CDC, SAMHSA, and NIH—to identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities to advance the field of recovery. Key findings and recommendations that came out of the first summit can be found here.
Agenda – This year’s summit addressed emerging topics related to recovery research, aligned with the priorities set forth in the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Drug Control Strategy, “Building a Recovery-Ready Nation.” ONDCP Director Rahul Gupta opened the conference, and was followed with reports from federal leadership, recently funded recovery research grantees, and other recovery-invested thought leaders.
The summit was organized around three areas of discovery and inquiry:
- Expanding the science of recovery
- Making recovery possible for more Americans
- Eliminating barriers and increasing opportunities (for recovery)
The virtual summit opened on Wednesday, September 14 at 3:00 p.m. with words from Dr. Gupta, director of ONDCP, followed by a fireside chat conducted by senior leaders reflecting on how we have progressed and what is next. Thursday, September 15 included a day of panel discussions addressing the progress made in the field of recovery research and its impact on improving sustained recovery.
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Planning Committee
The 2022 Recovery Research Summit is chaired by Dr. Andrea Barthwell in her role as a board member of GRI. Summit 2022 Planning Committee members include:
- Andrea Barthwell (chair), GRI, Board Member; ONDCP, former Director of Demand Reaction; American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), former President
- David Best, Recovery Research Institute, Author and Professor
- Carlos Blanco, NIDA, Director of the Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research
- Dona Dmitrovic, SAMHSA, Senior Advisor for Recovery
- Matt Escoubas, FMG, Director of Social Impact; GRI, Board Member
- Peter Gaumond, ONDCP, Senior Policy Analyst/Chief, Recovery Branch
- Cathie Hartnett, GRI, Board Member
- Christopher Jones, CDC, Acting Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
- John Kelly, Recovery Research Institute, Founder and Director; Harvard Medical School, Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine
- Memi Miscally, FMG, Director of Health Communication Research
- Deidra Roach, NIAAA, Program Director of the Treatment, Health Services, and Recovery Branch
- Karen Scott, FORE, President
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Presenting Sponsor
GRI would like to thank Fors Marsh Group (FMG) for being the presenting sponsor of Summit 2022.
About FMG: Fors Marsh Group is a research and strategy firm and a certified B Corporation committed to helping people make better decisions. FMG’s Social Impact Division provides pro bono research, marketing, and communications support to nonprofit organizations working to solve pressing societal challenges. FMG leverages its internal resources to support systems change and engage in social impact on the issue of SUD.
FMG has committed to conducting a national multiyear survey to measure public opinion on aspects of SUD related to the workplace. The Workplace Recovery Survey seeks to generate a statistically valid snapshot of Americans’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences regarding recovery from SUD in the workplace, with an emphasis on employer-based recovery policies, practices, and services. The first results of the survey will be released at Summit 2022.
GRI is grateful for the additional support from FORE and Pear Therapeutics in advancing attention to recovery research.
