Jill Schramm/MDN Beau Marion, right, visits with Gov. Doug Burgum at Recovery Reinvented Thursday at Minot State University. Marion was among individuals in recovery who came to be part of the event.

Beau Marion of Belcourt came to Recovery Reinvented in Minot Thursday because reinventing himself is how he approaches his own recovery. He credits the annual event hosted by Gov. Doug and Kathryn Burgum for shedding a light on addiction and acknowledging it as a disease that can be tackled.

“I wish more governors would see the movement and just pass it along,” he said of Recovery Reinvented. “This could save lives.”

Minot State University hosted the seventh annual Recovery Reinvented. More than 950 people had registered for the in-person event, with another 1,000 who registered to watch online.

“I usually come just to kind of gain more knowledge – and a lot for the resources,” said Lakeisha Chaske, case manager and assistant to the program manager at Spirit Lake Recovery & Wellness on the Spirit Lake Reservation. “On our reservation, we’re a small treatment center. So, we’re looking at where we can refer our tribal members to different services that are offered throughout the state or telehealth options.”

She was more than satisfied with the takeaways from this year’s event.

“I love it,” Chaske said. “I met a lot of nice people so far, found more places to refer people, which was my goal.”

Kevin Perdue, program director with Minot Area Recovery Community Organization, shared information with people who stopped to ask questions at the MARCO booth, one of many set up at Recovery Reinvented.

“People are asking and not just walking by. They are stopping and asking, ‘What are you guys about?’ That’s the first step is asking for help,” he said.

Stormie Flick, a therapist with The Village, had a chance this year to assist at her organization’s booth at Recovery Reinvented.

“I was surprised, actually, how big an event it is. This is a big deal,” she said. Working with an organization that counsels people in addiction recovery and works with children from homes where addiction is present, she added she also likes the message of the event.

A goal of Recovery Reinvented from its inception has been reducing the stigma surrounding addiction. Turning the tide on addiction starts with talking about it and normalizing the conversation, said Kathryn Burgum.

“Addiction affects everyone. And the stigma of addiction prevents people from reaching out for help. We still have a ton of stigma. We still have work to do. But in North Dakota we are reducing the stigma. I think part of that is related to Recovery Reinvented because we just encourage people to talk about the disease of addiction,” she said.

Gov. Burgum said, from a policy standard, treatment is not only a better solution than criminal penalties but it is the most fiscally responsible solution.

“It’s the right thing to do for people because we could save the half a billion we’re spending on criminal justice and incarceration and use that to actually solve a health problem,” he said. “We’ve really got a cycle here that we need to break, and we’ve got to break it by understanding that this is a disease and not a moral failing.”

Calvin Good Bird of New Town, who is in a recovery program, said attending Recovery Reinvented has reinforced the message of embracing your journey of sobriety and not letting your past hold you back from the life you want.

“You can find a way,” he said. “It’s out there. It’s possible.”

His friend Cheyenne Tyon, originally from Tama, Iowa, but accessing recovery services in Minot, said hearing stories of recovery from many of the speakers has been encouraging.

“I believe it’s possible when you hear stories like that,” he said. “I really enjoyed what the governor and his wife had to say, especially about the stigma. That’s a really big problem.”

Kathryn Burgum also credited North Dakota’s progress against addiction to a state behavioral health team that has developed some of the most innovative programs in the nation, from a 24-hour helpline answered by specialists with lived addiction experiences to the 1,000 trained peer support specialists across the state.

“The biggest percentage of them are Native American,” she said. “Their own tribes and their people are the ones that are now creating more opportunities for help.”

Gov. Burgum added the creation of organizations that support recovery has been important, too.

“We have plenty of places to go if you want to have a drink in the state. We don’t have that many places to go if you want to be with people that are trying to stay in sobriety,” he said. “Creating the alternatives, whether it’s on college campuses, like the work that Minot State has done here, or whether it is in communities, it’s smart and effective. It works. It helps save lives and it helps to improve the quality of life for those that are struggling with the disease of addiction and all of those around them.”