APT Foundation
APT Foundation is one of the oldest substance use treatment programs in the country, and one of the first to use medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Backed by the latest research, they employ an Open Access model that includes walk-in appointments 6 days a week and same-day care regardless of ability to pay. Built around treating the whole person, substance use treatment, primary care, and mental health services all live under one roof. This allows them to address the co-occurring conditions that commonly come with substance use, from chronic pain to STIs. Services include harm reduction efforts, mental health therapy, peer support, vocational support, and unique group programming that covers interest-based therapies and skill-building.
BRANDED MATERIALS, SOCIAL MEDIA, CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT
The Direction
Stigma has always been one of the biggest barriers standing between people and the care they need. It shows up everywhere: in how the community views substance use, in how people perceive those experiencing it, in resistance to harm reduction efforts that keep people alive long enough to get help, and in skepticism toward medication-assisted treatment. Through multiple campaigns and social media, the goal was to shift APT's presence in the community and chip away at the stigma keeping people from receiving care. To do that, I moved away from general messaging toward copy that carried real meaning, the kind that sits with people and challenges what they think they know.
Like many clients, APT came to us with an established brand but no brand guide or native logo files. I started by building out a full brand identity package, giving them the files and documentation they needed to create quality, cohesive assets going forward.
From there I developed branded materials that aligned with the identity and the new direction of the campaign.
Branded materials included a new event setup for in-person community events.
This pop-up banner focused on one of the new brand taglines that Founder Lynn Madden wanted to emphasize.
The Recovery Means campaign reframed what recovery actually looks like beyond medications and therapy. The messaging ran across social media and printed posters displayed at APT locations.
The Consider the Gap campaign was created for Overdose Awareness Day, using the metaphor of a gap to illustrate how stigma creates distance between people experiencing substance use and the outcomes they deserve.
During my time with APT Foundation, we also celebrated their 50th anniversary with a special commemorative logo and a virtual gala. I edited all of the prerecorded footage and served as the technical producer for the live stream, managing the run-of-show in real time to make sure every video and slide hit at the right moment and the virtual experience felt seamless for everyone watching.
Video
Video editing and live event production were a significant part of my work with APT Foundation. For the 50th Anniversary Gala, I edited all prerecorded footage and managed the technical run-of-show live so the virtual event felt seamless. I also edited community forum recordings for YouTube and produced campaign videos for their yearly fundraisers, each centered around a different theme or message.
Impact
During my time working with APT, they opened a fifth clinic location, began planning a sixth, started laying the groundwork for mobile services, and launched a podcast to keep the conversations we were working to normalize front and center. None of that happens without leadership willing to be bold. Lynn gave me a lot to work with, and I knew which parts of the conversation were worth turning into a campaign. Having a client who wasn't afraid to say the hard thing out loud made all the difference.
