{"id":225989,"date":"2025-10-02T10:00:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T17:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/?p=225989"},"modified":"2025-10-03T10:37:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T17:37:55","slug":"the-matthew-perry-foundation-zeroes-in-on-destigmatizing-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/the-matthew-perry-foundation-zeroes-in-on-destigmatizing-addiction","title":{"rendered":"The Matthew Perry Foundation Zeroes in on Destigmatizing Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Matthew Perry Foundation<\/a>, established in November 2023, marked a milestone with its inaugural Summit on Addiction and Recovery at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Los Angeles on Sept. 18. The gathering, in partnership with CAA Foundation, brought together leaders in medicine, policy and the arts \u2014 including NPR\u2019s Brian Mann and Mass General Brigham\u2019s Dr. Sarah Wakeman \u2014 for candid conversations about dismantling stigma and expanding access to care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perry, who was best known for his starring role in \u201cFriends,\u201d and who battled with addiction throughout his life, passed away in 2023 from an overdose of ketamine. Five people were later prosecuted for helping him acquire lethal doses of the drug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first caught up with the foundation last year<\/a>, I spoke with Board President Doug Chapin and Executive Director Lisa Kasteler-Calio about their vision for carrying Perry\u2019s legacy forward and their mission of centering dignity, compassion and community while dismantling stigma. Chapin and Kasteler-Calio weren\u2019t just his producer and publicist, but friends who felt responsible for Perry in life and who are dedicated to honoring his legacy. Their words then made it clear that the foundation would be about more than Hollywood headlines.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fall\u2019s announcement of a partnership with Healing Appalachia, the nation\u2019s largest recovery-based music festival, is another example of what they meant. Held in Ashland, Kentucky, the festival draws more than 20,000 people annually and has helped move over $1 million to grassroots groups. The foundation will provide housing and support for nearly 1,000 volunteers in recovery who keep the festival running. The foundation is also turning to one of Perry\u2019s lifelong passions: hockey. Through a new partnership with the NHL, the Goals for Recovery campaign will channel the energy of the sport into support for people facing addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at the summit in Los Angeles, the foundation underscored its core commitment to destigmatizing addiction, even among healthcare professionals, where blind spots remain. One of the day\u2019s most notable moments came when Hunter Biden joined Brian Mann, NPR’s first national addiction correspondent, for a virtual conversation. Biden showed surprising candor and vulnerability, crediting the steady support of his family through his struggles and sharing how he\u2019s learned to tune out public opinion, turn inward and lean on those closest to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, I joined one breakout session focused on narrative change and storytelling, led in part by R. Scott Gemmill, the Emmy-nominated writer, producer and showrunner whose medical drama \u201cThe Pitt\u201d seamlessly incorporates addiction storylines. Also among the people I met that day was a founder of an addiction support nonprofit, Song for Charlie, which has developed a widely accessible fentanyl education course for parents and caregivers. I also met a voice actress with loved ones touched by the disease. Every person carried their own connection to addiction, a reminder of both the reach of the crisis and the urgency of the foundation\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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