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Phil Valentine is the Executive Director for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). He has been an integral component in this Recovery Community Organization since January 1999. An accomplished author, trainer and presenter Phil is widely recognized as leader in the new recovery advocacy movement. Phil is known to carry the message of recovery through storytelling, humor and wit. In 2006, the Johnson Institute recognized his efforts with an America Honors Recovery award.  In 2008, Faces and Voices of Recovery honored CCAR with the first Joel Hernandez Voice of the Recovery Community Award as the outstanding recovery community organization in the country. In 2009, the Hartford Business Journal named him the Non-Profit Executive of the Year. He appears in the documentary “The Anonymous People”, a groundbreaking video that CCAR had the privilege of supporting. In 2015, Phil thruhiked the Appalachian Trail, a journey of 2,189 miles and carried the message of recovery the entire way (#AT4Recovery).

People consistently seek Phil’s experience and expertise on a variety of topics – Recovery Community Organization development, Recovery Community Center development, peer recovery support services, recovery coaching, advocacy and others. Numerous authors have included his perspective in their writings; for example, Bill White, Christopher Kennedy-Lawford, Dr. John Kelly, Bud Mikhitarian and Melissa Killeen.

Early in his career, Phil spearheaded CCAR’s effort to build a statewide network of Recovery Community Centers that feature innovative peer recovery support services like telephone recovery support, All-Recovery groups and Recovery Works! employment services. Most recently, CCAR implemented the Emergency Department Recovery Coach project with dramatic, positive results. Phil was instrumental in the development of CCAR’s highly-acclaimed videos and served as CCAR’s point man for the first seven “Recovery Walks!", annual walks held for those in support of recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. He has designed and facilitated several trainings and currently, Phil has focused his training efforts on the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy©, Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaches©, Spirituality for Recovery Coaches© and Professionalism for Recovery Coaches©.

Phil established his recovery since December 28, 1987 and believes being public about his own recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction helps eliminate the discrimination surrounding addiction and recovery. He strives to “soften the community” to recovery. A University of Connecticut graduate, he previously worked as a community counselor in a detox/residential treatment setting and in the field of prevention. He is married and has five children. His favorite hobbies are hiking, kayak and surf fishing, European football and movies.