National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery
Press Release
Contacts Persons:
Joycelyn Woods, Executive Director, edirector@methadone.org
Carmen Pearman-Arlt, President, carlt@porterstarke.org♰
Phone/Fax: 1.212.595.NAMA
(1-212-595-62620
For Release
May 6, 2019
64, passed away December 9, 2018 after a
long illness.
In the early 1990s NAMA Recovery was mailed an index card
with dimes taped to it and a short message saying they could not afford $10 for
membership and this was all they had. It was Carmen Pearman. Like all
letters we receive from patients she received a letter back saying that we
would rather have her advocacy than money.
Carmen organized one of our oldest chapters The MAG
(Methadone Advocacy Group). One of the things the group decided to do was clean
the street around their clinic. While they were out picking up garbage
and sweeping the street when the Reverend from the church across the street
came out to warn them about those addicts over there. Carmen explained that
they were those addicts. From this encounter patients were given space in the
church to set up 12 step groups and to have meetings. The following year there
was a big drug conference In Indiana and the chapter acted as the color guard
for the governor when he entered the arena. I remember Carmen sending a picture
of them all dressed in white shirts, navy bow ties for women and regular ties
for men and navy pants.
Carmen went back to school and earned an MSW and was
continuing her education a PhD in social work when she became ill.
She received the Dole Nyswander
Award (Marie) in 2001 for organizing the state provider organization. The state
of Indiana had no representation and clinics saw each other more as competitors
than associates working for a common cause. She helped to establish the clinics
in their current state organization.
The past few years she developed
the program for women and children at Porter Starke (Valparaiso, IN) in
addition to being President of NAMA Recovery.
She resided in Hanna, Indiana and is survived by two
sons: David and Erich and three great-grandchildren.
NAMA Recovery will miss Ms. Pearman’s dedication and compassion to patients and the
field.
(Information
for this Press Release was published in the Post Tribune on
Feb. 10, 2019.)
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