Tony Sanchez is a passionate advocate who works tirelessly to enhance and develop recovery-oriented systems of care for all people. As a person in long-term recovery, Tony is continually amazed by the opportunities that have come his way to use his lived experience and knowledge of recovery to serve others. He served as the Director of the Office of Recovery Transformation at Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) from 2016 to 2021. In that role one of his responsibilities was to manage the state contracts of 26 Peer Led Recovery Organizations. He also played a major role in the implementation of Georgia’s Recovery Focus Change Training, assisting the Behavioral Health Safety Net Providers in Operationalizing Recovery.
Tony co-founded People Living in Recovery “PLR” a Recovery Community organization in Athens, Georgia and serves on various state and local committees where he brings a message of hope. He is also very business minded, co-founding Superior Commercial Cleaning Service in 2006. He and his partners offer excellent service and built a reputation for providing employment to people newly in recovery.
In 2008 he began working at Advantage Behavioral Health Systems as a House Parent in the Alcohol and Other Drug Unit at Miles Street. While there in 2011 he was offered an opportunity to be in the first cohort of Georgia’s Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist (CARES). As a peer recovery coach, he used not only his talents as a community organizer but also his lived experience to develop Advantage’s Peer Recovery Program and serve as the Team Lead.
His desire to reach a broader audience led him to accept a position then with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA) as the Program Manager of Recovery Community Development during which time he supported 10 communities.
Tony has a firm belief that everything happens within a cultural context and because of that he has a passion for Diversity Equity and Inclusion work, helping to create safe spaces where people can bring their whole selves.
As you would quickly learn from talking with Tony, He brings a message of unwavering hope and testimony to how awesome recovery is. He is especially comfortable sharing with individuals who are new to recovery and believes that one small change gives people a chance to begin in their personal journey of recovery and wellness.