Vital Voyage
Author of the Month:
Bill Stauffer
Author of the Month is a spotlight series honoring one standout contributor whose voice, expertise, and impact have made a significant difference in mental health education and recovery awareness. Each month, we feature one author’s most powerful articles, insights, and personal story.
Author of the Month Posts
A Conversation With Bill
Favorite Quote
Coming Soon
Bill Stauffer
Publishers Note
As a frequent contributor to Vital Voyage Blog, Bill has helped our readers better understand not only where the substance use disorder recovery movement has been, but also where it must go next. He writes with intellectual rigor, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that the voices of people in recovery remain central to the systems and policies intended to serve them.
As publisher, I have learned a great deal from Bill’s insight into recovery-oriented systems of care, advocacy, institutional accountability, and the importance of honest dialogue across the field. Despite the many demands placed upon him, he is consistently generous, responsive, and willing to assist whenever asked.
Vital Voyage Blog is deeply grateful for Bill’s friendship, guidance, and many contributions. His work has strengthened our publication and enriched the broader conversation about substance use disorder, long-term recovery, and the future of care.
BIO
William Stauffer is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance (PRO-A), the statewide recovery community organization of Pennsylvania. In long-term recovery since age 21, Bill has spent nearly four decades engaged in recovery support, workforce development, and public policy and systems reform aimed at improving long-term recovery outcomes.
An adjunct Professor of Social Work at Misericordia University, Bill is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and writer. His work has helped shape recovery-related policy at both the state and federal levels, including testimony before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. In 2024, he was invited by William White to open the First National Conference on Addiction Recovery Science hosted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse by presenting White's paper on the Frontiers of Recovery Research, intended to inform future recovery-grounded research.
Bill lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Julie, and their three rescue dogs. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys photography, birdwatching, and spending time in the woods.
Episode 2: Protecting the Soul of Peer Support – Lessons in History with Bill Stauffer -How much of what we call “peer support” today is actually new? Dr Justin Bell with support of the Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Center June 2026
Why This Series Matters
This series reflects Vital Voyage’s mission to tell recovery stories that matter.