What programs and services are offered through Cecil Community Recovery Center (CCRC)?
The CCRC is a multi-faceted peer run program. We offer services for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders, across the stages of change. At the heart of our center (and what we consider the most important part of the puzzle) is our 24/7 peer support. Anyone (and I mean anyone) can call and find a peer on the other side of that phone to talk to about whatever they need.
We also coordinate treatment on behalf of those who seek it from 8 am till 1am in the morning, and work to eliminate all barriers. Meaning, we will do whatever it takes to make sure the individual gets what they are looking for when seeking help.
The CCRC also provides a space for local recovery support groups to gather. We have your traditional 12 step programs such as NA, and AA but we also have SMART recovery, Dharma recovery, and a Voices of Hope founded meeting “All-Paths. This variety ensures that we have a space that everyone feels comfortable to be in and grow in their recovery.
CCRC is also now the home of a new program, Recovery Health Services. RHS is a MAT program that is people-centered. Together with VOH peers, Recovery Health Services offers support for a participant’s life in early recovery, not just MAT. We make sure that the individual feels a part of the process and not a victim of it.
One of the most common barriers for individuals is transportation. We demolish this barrier by sending peers to transport those going to treatment, someone looking for a ride to a meeting, doctor’s appointment, or even to a court date.
It is vital that those in early recovery have wrap-around care. Removing the drugs doesn’t equal recovery, we define recovery as the continuous process of bettering one’s self.
What is the most impactful part of working in Cecil County and what makes Cecil unique?
Cecil County is huge, but despite the size there is this cozy small town feel you get when you are here. The people who live here have huge hearts, are extremely loyal, and can sometimes be very stubborn. The disease of addiction is running rampant, every person in Cecil, I’m sure, has been affected in some way. Here at the community center we don’t just offer peer support to those who suffer from the disease of addiction, we also support their families as well.
The most impactful part about working in Cecil County has to be when you get to see the hope in a person’s eyes, or hear it in their voice. When we sit here night after night speaking to the mother of a young man caught up in active addiction. Letting her know she is not alone, giving her the space to say how she actually feels instead of holding it all in. Telling, and showing her that recovery is possible by simply just being that person on the opposite side of the phone. Now she has hope that her son might one day too be where most of our peers are now.
Having someone walk in our doors beaten and alone or perhaps at the end of their rope, with no other options they come to us. We help them make the choices that are right for them, we guide them to believe in themselves again, and to see there is another way. When we watch the color come back in their faces, and the light to their eyes over time is a feeling I can’t describe. I take comfort in knowing that our collective experiences, strengths and hopes are always being passed on to those still suffering. It brings joy to see an individual come back from treatment and talk about going to meetings, getting a job, and seeing their kids again. We don’t give anyone anything they don’t already have, we just help them help themselves.
What would you say is the biggest accomplishment thus far of our Cecil County team?
I may be biased but I believe our accomplishments are boundless. We have a strong team of peers that all bring different perspectives and experiences to the table. Voices of Hope sees the needs of the community and do our best to address them. We are a catch-all for everyone who falls through the cracks of the system. We will help get you to a shelter, we will find a place that will care for your pets while you are getting help. We are there when no one else seems to be. Our programs are people-centered, and sprung from necessity. Our Recovery Health Services was formed because we saw a need not being met. We purchased Recovery Houses because people needed places to go after treatment..
Our biggest accomplishment is the trust we have built with the community. The warm welcoming safe space we provide to those in need. The voices we give to people who aren’t strong enough to speak for themselves, and the hope we give to the friends and family members who feel like they might never get to see their loved one again.
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