The question of how to treat substance use disorder has become increasingly urgent with the tragic spike in fentanyl deaths in recent years.
There are many parts to effective treatment for substance use, but Educational Alliance’s addiction treatment center has introduced an element that is impactful and innovative: the power of community.
Educational Alliance’s Center for Recovery and Wellness (‘CRW’) is not a self-contained treatment facility; it’s a community center. The people who are in recovery at CRW are seamlessly connected to the community around them, through our staff, peer advocates, volunteers, former clients, and neighbors who visit the center for other services. And people in the community have come to rely on CRW, thus chipping away at the stigma often attached to treatment for substance use disorder.
Here’s just one example:
Twice a week, CRW’s Community Food Program gives out nutritious food to community members in need. Tomorrow, they’ll be handing out turkeys and other food for the Thanksgiving holiday.
This program does much more than provide nourishment to hungry neighbors, vital as that is. It also allows CRW to share information with the community about all the services provided by the center, including mental health support, treatment for substance use disorder, and an array of holistic wellness programs to allow for overall health and wellbeing.
And the program provides an opportunity for people in recovery to volunteer, giving back to their community and building connections. By helping someone else who is in need, a person in recovery can reclaim a lost element of their own self-worth, take pride in their actions, and feel a sense of belonging.
At a recent visit to CRW, I spoke with Marion Maxwell, a Peer Navigator who also helps coordinate the food program in collaboration with Volunteer Services Associate Mishi Ghuman. Please take a look at the video above to learn more about how the Community Food Program works, the people it serves, and why it’s a vital part of the recovery process.
Best,
Rich Baum
President & CEO, Educational Alliance