Recovery in Community Making a Difference in its First Months
A pilot program for those needing substance or mental health assistance is already exceeding expectations.
Recovery in Community, which trains volunteers in tasks like enrolling someone into a rehab program, scheduling therapy or finding housing, has seen 14 clients since its launch in August 2019, which is nearly double what organizers projected. Janine Heimerich is the paid coordinator who pairs advocates with clients, around half of whom are showing “clear progress” in their recovery process.
“I am actually very thrilled with that. It means we are doing something right and that feels good. That’s a much better result than most recovery programs,” Heimerich said. “We know when someone is still moving in the right direction. We are not here to be a cure for them, but we can track it and know which of our clients here on Orcas are still on the right path and which have fallen off.”