Freddie Laboy of Prevention Point spoke to our Solutions Journalism: Covering Addiction class on Tuesday about being a certified recovery specialist and providing peer support.

Laboy also started Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous, a 12-step meeting for people who are using medication-assisted treatment. The group — which is meant to be a “judgment-free zone” — meets at St. Mark’s Church on Frankford Avenue near Sellers Street every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Laboy is also working on starting a Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous meeting in West Philadelphia.

He said he was once biased toward people who are using medication-assisted treatment, but he educated himself. He urged journalists to do the same and avoid generalizing people in their stories.

“Each individual has how own unique story,” Laboy said. “Don’t clump my story with someone else’s.”