Newsletter
Recognizing the Signs & Responding with Compassion
The 2026 Annual Leaders Luncheon to End Overdose brought together more than 300 leaders from across Tampa Bay, each playing a role in shaping the future of recovery in our region. From the opening moments to the final remarks, one theme was clear: progress is happening, but sustaining it will require continued collaboration and action.
Did You Know: Why Mental Health Support Is Essential to Recovery
As We Grow: Why Mental Health Support Is Essential to RecoveryRecovery is about more than overcoming substance use; it is about building stability, connection, and long-term wellbeing. Mental health plays a critical role in that process. For many individuals...
Letter from the CEO
Mental health is a vital part of every recovery journey, yet for many, it remains one of the most difficult topics to discuss openly. Across our community, we see the impact of mental health challenges in many ways within families, faith communities, workplaces, and among individuals navigating recovery. These experiences remind us that mental health is not isolated; it is deeply connected to how we heal, grow, and stay connected to one another.
As We Grow: Strengthening Partnerships to Advance Recovery
As We Grow: Strengthening Partnerships to Advance RecoveryGrowth at Live Tampa Bay is rooted in partnership. Addressing substance use and supporting recovery requires coordination across healthcare, business, government, and community organizations. No single entity...
Why Policy Matters in Recovery: Turning Data into Action
When we talk about recovery, we often focus on individuals, but systems play just as critical a role. Policy decisions shape who has access to care, how quickly support is available, and whether recovery services are sustainable over time.
Letter from the CEO
Across Tampa Bay, we are seeing encouraging signs of alignment. Leaders in healthcare, business, and public service are increasingly recognizing that recovery is not separate from community wellbeing; it is central to it. Recent policy advancements have created new opportunities, but their true impact depends on how we carry them forward into our daily work and shared systems.
From Momentum to Action: What Comes Next After the Leaders Luncheon
The 2026 Annual Leaders Luncheon to End Overdose brought together more than 300 leaders from across Tampa Bay, each playing a role in shaping the future of recovery in our region. From the opening moments to the final remarks, one theme was clear: progress is happening, but sustaining it will require continued collaboration and action.
Why Policy Matters in Recovery: Turning Data into Action
If addiction were only about the substance, everyone exposed to the same drug would have the same outcome. We know that’s not how it works. One famous series of experiments, often called “Rat Park”, offers a surprisingly human lesson: our environment and our sense of belonging can dramatically shape how we relate to substances.
As We Grow: Kofi Hunt
Live Tampa Bay Welcomes Kofi HuntLive Tampa Bay is excited to welcome Kofi Hunt to our team as Community Liaison for Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Kofi brings extensive experience as a community organizer and coalition builder, with a strong background connecting...
Women Shaping the Recovery Movement
If addiction were only about the substance, everyone exposed to the same drug would have the same outcome. We know that’s not how it works. One famous series of experiments, often called “Rat Park”, offers a surprisingly human lesson: our environment and our sense of belonging can dramatically shape how we relate to substances.
Letter from the CEO
This February, I’ve been thinking a lot about how loneliness, overdose, and stigma show up in real lives here in Tampa Bay, and what it would look like for all of us to respond with more compassion, not more pressure. In my letter, I share why connection and person‑first language matter so much, how Black communities are carrying a disproportionate share of this crisis, and three simple ways we can care for ourselves more kindly while helping someone else feel less alone.
What the “Rat Park” Experiment Can Teach Us About Addiction and Belonging
If addiction were only about the substance, everyone exposed to the same drug would have the same outcome. We know that’s not how it works. One famous series of experiments, often called “Rat Park”, offers a surprisingly human lesson: our environment and our sense of belonging can dramatically shape how we relate to substances.
Falling in Love With Yourself: A Different Kind of February Self‑Care
By February, most “new year, new you” resolutions are already fading into the background. If you’re living in or supporting recovery, that can feel discouraging—like one more reminder that change is hard. At Live Tampa Bay, we see it differently. Real growth, especially in recovery, tends to come from small, sustainable acts of self‑respect, not from trying to reinvent yourself overnight. This month, we’re inviting you to think about self‑care as “falling in love with yourself”—in a grounded, everyday way.
Loneliness, Overdose, and Why Connection Matters
Loneliness, Overdose, and Why Connection MattersWe talk a lot about substances when we talk about overdose. What we talk about less is how often loneliness and isolation sit in the background of those stories. When someone feels cut off—from family, from community,...
Letter from the CEO
This February, I’ve been thinking a lot about how loneliness, overdose, and stigma show up in real lives here in Tampa Bay, and what it would look like for all of us to respond with more compassion, not more pressure. In my letter, I share why connection and person‑first language matter so much, how Black communities are carrying a disproportionate share of this crisis, and three simple ways we can care for ourselves more kindly while helping someone else feel less alone.
