February 3, 2017 |
Organization Highlight: Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
The Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) was founded in 1998 with two questions in mind:
- Where are the people in recovery when policy decisions are made?
- Can the recovery community be organized?
What started as mainly an advocacy organization has since shifted into a recovery-oriented centralized resource for the state of Connecticut.
Recovery services include:
- Recovery Community Centers: CCAR has three Recovery Community Centers run by volunteers that offer recovery coaching, social events, meetings, and more.
- Recovery Oriented Employment Services (ROES) Program: ROES helps people in early recovery find employment through a seven week program that integrates recovery support and vocational training.
- Telephone Recovery Support: This peer-to-peer support service features weekly “check in” phone calls to discuss how a person’s recovery is going and to provide continued support and encouragement.
- Recovery Housing Project: Through the site www.findrecoveryhousing.com, people can find recovery housing for themselves or a loved one and also list a recovery house in the directory.
- Recovery Coach Academy: This 5-day intensive training program provides individuals with the skills needed to work as a recovery coach. This includes guiding, mentoring, and supporting people seeking long-term recovery.
CCAR also hosts events such as the Multiple Pathways of Recovery Conference. This conference will educate attendees on the many different pathways through which people achieve recovery. CCAR makes the distinction between pathways to recovery (events that may cause someone to seek recovery) and pathways of recovery. Pathways of recovery are described as what helps individuals maintain and sustain recovery.
The work of CCAR extends beyond Connecticut. From March to September 2015, Executive Director Phil Valentine hiked the Appalachian Trail as a way to put a face on recovery and “carry the recovery torch through the wilderness”. As a person in recovery from both addiction and cancer, Phil’s journey has raised awareness and shows what accomplishments can be achieved in recovery. Click here to learn more about his journey.
Visit CCAR on their website, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.
