Recovery in Community Hopes to Decrease the Barriers to Social Services
Those who grapple with mental health issues or addiction can feel overwhelmed by the prospect of finding help.
For years, a small group of islanders has been quietly assisting struggling community members by encouraging a visit to Alcoholics Anonymous, signing them up for health insurance or simply sitting down with a cup of coffee to chat.
Those volunteers are now hoping to create a more structured program to help citizens gain access to social services in the region.
“You can’t time when someone has a crisis to coincide with business hours,” said Jim Connell, who has been sober for 15 years and active in AA for a decade. “So right now, you can either call 911 or do nothing. That ‘something in between’ is someone to talk to and get you through the weekend. And where does that person come from if not the community?”
Connell is spearheading Recovery in Community, a pilot program that will train volunteers in providing mental health and addiction guidance — whether it’s getting someone into a rehab program, scheduling therapy or finding housing. A paid coordinator will oversee pairing volunteers with clients. The resource center is on board as the fiscal sponsor, and therapists — like Julie Gottmann and Anita Castle — would provide training.