Summer seemingly flew by for us here at the Root Center. From events to new projects, we were busy! Since our last newsletter, we made some excellent progress on new construction for our newest clinics set to open soon, some as early as this month! We expanded our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Methadone Management Treatment Program (MMTP) admissions to include Norwich on Fridays, we started our 2024-2025 Clinical Grand Rounds series, we held our annual Remembrance Ceremony for International Overdose Awareness Day, and we are very close to officially opening our first clinic in New Haven county! 

International Overdose Awareness Day is recognized yearly on August 31st. This year, the Root Center for Advanced Recovery hosted our Annual International Overdose Awareness Day Remembrance Ceremony in our Manchester Memorial Garden. In 2023, the Department of Public Health reported that there were 1,343 confirmed overdose deaths. That was 121 fewer deaths than the year prior, and yet that number is still staggeringly high. Every year, during Overdose Awareness Week, Root invites the community to join us as we come together to honor and remember those lost to overdose, and support those still struggling. The event was held in our Memorial Garden, w e began with some brief remarks from Root Leadership, Community Leaders, and also heard from a Root Center patient. Directly following these remarks, we had a planting ceremony. This is a tradition we started in 2023, where for International Overdose Awareness Day, we add a new plant to the Memorial Garden. This year, our new addition to the garden was voted on by our social media followers. We are thrilled to announce that the Butterfly Bush won by an astounding margin! It looks great in the garden.