Our Stance

The Virginia Association of Addiction Counselors (VAAC) stands against racism in all its forms and is supportive of movements aimed at creating a more just society for Black and Brown People in the United States. The Black Lives Matter movement serves as an explicit response to the unjust killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and so many other people of color who remain unknown and unheard. We strongly affirm that Black Lives Matter. These atrocities are reminders that we, as a society, have a long way to go in ensuring equal treatment for Black and Brown people in our communities, including how our laws are enforced. We acknowledge that racism has existed throughout the history of our country (and in other nations) in the form of direct violence, explicit discrimination, implicit biases, and systemic oppression. As an organization, we strive to learn and actively push back against racism in all its forms. It is not enough to oppose racism; it is our intention to be anti-racist.

VAAC recognizes the importance for our organization to move forward in our professional, educational, and advocacy efforts to continue to highlight what we can do as addiction counselors during this monumental boiling point in American history. We have an important role to play in being vocal opponents of law enforcement unjustly targeting communities of color in the context of a Drug War that has lasted decades and has perpetuated racial disparities in incarceration rates across the nation. The Drug War is particularly concerning in its targeting of minority individuals and has been used to justify harsh and excessive tactics of enforcing drug laws that are counterproductive for destigmatizing addiction and substance use.

Our role as addiction counselors also extends to ensuring appropriate and affirming treatment environments for clients of all races and ethnicities, as well as affirming intersecting identities for Black and Brown individuals. We must address the “one-size-fits-all” treatment mentality embedded in commonly utilized substance use disorder treatment programs and recovery centers. Many people of color do not find peer support groups to be an effective source of healing and acceptance in their recovery process, and being cognizant of multicultural considerations such as these is an important first step in increasing inclusivity in addiction services. We stand with our clients who have been negatively impacted by these policies and strive to make addiction treatment a source of strength, resilience, and recovery, rather than a punitive component of a system that judges minority populations more harshly.

Our organization recognizes the source of privilege with which the majority of our members present with, and while VAAC has strived to welcome and value racial and cultural diversity within our organization, we hope this statement elicits more potential members of diverse communities to join us in our efforts to end racism and police violence against Black and Brown communities. As a special interest group of the Virginia Counselors Association (VCA), our organization recognizes the call to action for mental health professionals to support our community members. No person should fear for their life at the hands of law enforcement or others because of the color of their skin or choice to use substances. VAAC hopes to serve as a resource for all community members who wish to engage in honest discussions, advocacy efforts, and assist in the development of legal policy which can help eradicate racial and social injustices within our communities and treatment systems.