Tempest Announces 10,000 Months of Free Alcohol Recovery Treatment in Partnership with Nico Tortorella

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tempest today announced a sweeping expansion to its scholarship program aimed at increasing access to high quality alcohol recovery care for underserved communities. Over the next two years, Tempest has committed to provide more than 10,000 months of free membership to the company's digital alcohol recovery program for individuals from LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. The combined free membership and service offerings represent more than 800 years of recovery support for those who need it most. To spearhead the effort, actor, author and advocate, Nico Tortorella (they/them) will join Tempest as the company's first Scholarship Chairperson, using their platform to help as many as 3,000 people change their relationship with alcohol.

Tortorella identifies as a sexually fluid and gender fluid person and is a proud advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. Now entering their sixth year of sobriety, they are passionate about normalizing sober living and making sure anyone seeking help with their alcohol use can receive the care they need regardless of their circumstances.

"My goal has always been to create a public platform that I could use to help others," said Tortorella. "I didn't have access to a program like Tempest when I first got sober. So, I'm very excited to be able to help give people like me access to such an empowering resource."

"It is an honor to have someone like Nico commit to helping us spread the word about Tempest scholarships and championing such an important cause that has been built into the fabric of Tempest from the very beginning," said Tempest CEO, Ruth Sun (she/her).

Tempest has long been an advocate for overaffected and underserved communities that don't typically have access to alcohol recovery services. The scholarship program has been in existence since the inception of Tempest (formerly known as Hip Sobriety) which was founded in 2014. Since 2020, when the company launched its membership model amid the pandemic, more than 400 people have received Tempest scholarships to gain access to care they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.

While more than 51 million Americans meet the criteria for problem drinking or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), only one million or 2% of them receive treatment for their disorder. Many of them do not seek recovery treatment due to the barriers of cost and access. It's an issue that is well known yet largely unaddressed in the recovery industry. Specifically, in the LGBTQIA+ community, alcohol and other substances are often used as coping strategies to deal with the effects of gender expectations and discrimination. BIPOC communities are less likely than their white counterparts to complete treatment for alcohol or drug addiction, largely due to socioeconomic barriers like unemployment, social stigma, and discrimination. Predominantly minority communities also tend to have fewer or lower-quality treatment options than predominantly white communities.

Tempest members are empowered to pursue sobriety while being supported by a highly trained Care Team with lived experience. Through its clinically proven program, members are connected with the evidence-based treatment methods to help them go alcohol-free. Tempest approaches healing holistically by addressing the root causes that lead people to drink in the first place. This approach doesn't strip out the importance of identity in the recovery process, making it particularly useful for traditionally underserved communities that may also face the barrier of stigma when seeking help with their drinking.

As part of the scholarship program expansion, Tempest will be partnering with multiple nonprofits to identify individuals from LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities who are most likely to benefit from receiving a Tempest membership. One of the first organizations the company has partnered with is Santana's Foundation, a nonprofit whose focus is empowering and educating underserved communities.

Santana's Foundation was founded by one of Tempest's own recovery coaches, Brandon Anthony (he/him), who is proud to partner with Tempest to meet his foundation's existing goal to help 1,000 black men gain access to high quality recovery care.

"As someone who struggled with excessive alcohol use and depression for almost a decade, I am so proud to be able to partner with Tempest in helping others who struggle with their alcohol use," Anthony said. "I am particularly excited for the African American community to see what happens when Black men finally receive the support they need to get sober and how that can positively impact the community over time."

Under the new scholarship program expansion, anyone can sponsor a Tempest membership for someone who needs but may not be able to afford to join. To learn more about the Tempest Scholarship Program, please visit www.jointempest.com/About.

About Tempest

Tempest is the first recovery system that provides effective, engaging, holistic and life long care to anyone who wants to change their relationship with alcohol. Tempest provides alcohol use disorder treatment for the 51 million Americans who don't identify as addicted. Tempest is a modern alternative to current recovery options like AA and is focused on an approach that's empathetic and empowering. Learn more at jointempest.com.

About Nico Tortorella

Nico is an actor, author and dedicated champion of the LGBTQIA+ community, using their voice to educate and help break down stereotypes. Nico is best known for their role as Josh on Darren Star's hit dramedy series YOUNGER and as Felix, the first gay character in AMC's THE WALKING DEAD: WORLD BEYOND, which returns for a second season on 10.3.21 at 10 p.m. on AMC. Nico is also an accomplished author, who published a collection of poetry, all of it is you, in 2018, followed by their memoir SPACE BETWEEN in 2019, recounting their exploration of love, sex, gender, addiction, family, fame and fluidity through the lens of their non-binary identity.

About Santana's Foundation

Santana's Foundation imagines a future where neighborhoods are equipped with every resource needed to be sustainable and successful. The nonprofit's vision is to create a system of programs, activities, and product distribution that will give communities a way to uplift themselves through education, training, and economic empowerment. Santana's Foundation is dedicated to seeing an increase in upward mobility in underserved areas across the United States. Learn more at www.santanasfoundation.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Queen Muse
Tempest
[email protected]

SOURCE Tempest, Inc.

Related Links

www.jointempest.com

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