Recovery Community Centers: Anchored in the Recovery Community Part 2: Their Operation

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Recovery Community Centers Anchored in the
Recovery CommunityPart 2 Their Operation
Teleconference Series
March 26, 2008
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Introductions

• Pat Taylor Executive Director, Faces
  Voices of Recovery
• Mark Ames Network Coordinator, Vermont
  Recovery Network
• Caroline Miclette Windham Recovery Community
  Center, Willimantic, CT
• Diane Potvin Manager, Windham Recovery
  Community Center, Willimantic, CT

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Q A Session

• At the end of the teleconference, there will be a
  15 minute QA session
• If you would like to ask a question, please email
  the question to jhess_at_facesandvoicesofrecovery.or
  g during the teleconference

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Life in Vermont Recovery Centers What we do and
how it works
Mark Ames
Network Coordinator Vermont Recovery Network
http//vtrecoverynetwork.org/
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Vermonts Recovery Movement

• Vermont Recovery Network
• Friends of Recovery Vermont
• Turning Point Center of Chittenden County

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Whats Recovery Got to Do with It?

• Acute care model vs. recovery-based care
• Putting a face and a voice on recovery

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Vermonts Recovery Centers

• Nine Recovery Centers
• 14 part time center staff
• 150 active volunteers
• Who participates?
• 1/3 never attended treatment
• 1/5 reported being on probation or parole when
  they arrived
• 1/4 initially reported homelessness 1/2 of these
  have found housing

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Data System
• Early Development
• Today
• Participant Survey Recovery Solutions available
  online http//www.vtrecoverynetwork.org/

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Not affiliated with AA, NA, or any other recovery
  approaches
• Providing safe, supportive, substance-free
  environments, welcoming to everyone seeking
  recovery
• Our Visitors
• People new to our centers engaged in recovery
• People contemplating recovery
• People in need of recovery
• People with multiple issues

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Our services
• Peer-to-peer recovery meetings
• Outreach to people on probation or leaving
  corrections
• Recovery Solutions
• Making Change
• Wits End
• Discussion on Medication
• Employment Programs for Recovered Alcoholics
  (EPRA)
• Medication-Assisted Recovery System (MARS)

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Special Events
• Alcathons
• Recreational events
• Educational forums
• Kingdom Recovery Centers Rock Around the Block
  Party
• Sports events

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Volunteers
• Recovery community
• Student interns
• Reach Up for welfare recipients
• Vermont Associates (people over 55 trying to
  reenter the workforce)
• Volunteer Background checks
• Retaining and Honoring Volunteers
• Training Volunteers
• Peer credentialing

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Vermont Recovery Network

• Recovery Centers as Advocacy Platforms
• Affiliation and Anonymity
• Weaving recovery into community life
• Putting a new face on recovery

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Since the Beginning
My Road to Recovery
Caroline Miclette Windham Recovery Community
Center
http//www.ccar-recovery.org/recoverycntr_windham.
htm
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Getting into Recovery

• Typical American family
• What I thought was recreational use
• Five years of self induced pain
• High risk pregnancy/post partum
• Just couldnt find my own salvation

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A Glimmer of Hope

• CCAR
• How I heard about it
• My first experiences there
• My life
• Early recovery
• Pregnant again
• Custody battle for my son

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Recovery Is A Beautiful Thing

• Attended meetings
• Became Secretary of Mutual Support Group
• CCAR
• Decided to become involved again
• Volunteered

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My Life Today

• Custody of both of my children
• A job, a place to live
• A life that I never dreamed I would have

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A Day in our life!
Recovery Centers A beacon of light in
communities searching for change!
Diane Potvin Manager Windham Recovery Community
Center
http//www.ccar-recovery.org/recoverycntr_windham.
htm
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Wednesday

• Check messages, make call backs if necessary
• Check emails and reply when needed
• Doors open at noon but with both of us here and a
  volunteer we usually answer a knock at our door
• Attend our Womens All Recovery meeting that
  usually has about 15-20 or more ladies in
  attendance

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Wednesday continues

• Address issues that might come up from attendees,
  such as
• job searches
• relapse prevention
• sober houses
• social events
• recovery coaching with lifes issues

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Wednesday continues

• Skill building workshops
• Crocheting classes
• Specialized meeting
• Afternoon or evening training
• CCAR 101
• CCAR volunteer

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Wednesday continues

• Every other Wednesday I co-host our Public Access
  TV Show Positive Faces with guests who are
  willing to put themselves out about their
  addiction but mostly their recovery to the
  Windham community
• We offer volunteers opportunities to work the
  front desk and be part of managing the Center

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Daily

• There are usually people in recovery using our
  computers or talking with other people in
  recovery about life and their issues at the
  Center. Sometimes they are group discussions
  and/or one on one but always someone to talk to
• There is always someone here to give guidance for
  someone that wants Detox

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Wednesday continues

• We have scheduled morning and afternoon
  volunteers to make calls to other recoverees for
  our Telephone Recovery Support (TRS) program.
  Miracles have happened
• It happens that I am doing this on a Wednesday
  and one of our attendees has relapsed again,
  crashed her car and we will be discussing at the
  meeting, what do we do when a friend or someone
  we care for relapses

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Q A

• Please email your questions to
  jhess_at_facesandvoicesofrecovery.org
• If we are unable to answer your question during
  the teleconference, we will answer by email after
  the teleconference is over