Mission

CCAR is a recovery community membership organization that promotes recovery through advocacy, education, and service. Its RCSP project uses a peer-based social support model to build recovery capital throughout Connecticut. CCAR’s definition of recovery capital is “individual, relational, and community resources that support sustained recovery.”

Recovery Community Centers

Building on the success of its center in Windham, Connecticut, CCAR opened its second recovery community center in late 2005 in New London, Connecticut. Both recovery centers host an array of peer recovery support services, including trainings, workshops, vocational services, informal recovery coaching, and clean and sober social events.

The recovery community centers “anchor” recovery in a visible way in the heart of the communities they serve. CCAR plans to have a total of nine recovery centers by the end of the grant.

All-Recovery Groups

All-Recovery groups meet regularly meeting at both centers. These are recovery support groups that welcome members from any “form” of recovery12-step, Christian, other faith-based, methadone maintenance, medication assisted, dual diagnosis, individual, and any other type. All-Recovery meetings discuss topics related to recovery and close with affirmations.

Telephone Recovery Support

CCAR has developed a telephone recovery support program for people completing treatment for a substance use disorder. Trained peers call people leaving treatment programs once a week for 12 weeks to check on their status and progress and to offer support where needed. CCAR has developed a case rate for this phone service and expects to provide it as an Access to Recovery (ATR)-funded service in Connecticut.

Volunteer Management System

CCAR has developed a Volunteer Management System which includes job descriptions for 19 different volunteer positions. In 2005, volunteers recorded more than 3,000 hours of service time.

Recovery Housing Project

The Recovery Housing Project is a three-pronged effort consisting of a recovery housing data base, a Recovery Housing Coalition, and technical assistance on how to open a recovery home. The searchable data base of recovery housing in Connecticut contains information on 107 houses with a combined capacity of more than 1,100 beds. The project gets 50-60 calls a week for information from the data base; the Department of Corrections uses it to get people out of correctional halfway housing and into recovery housing that meets the standards set by the Recovery Housing Coalition.

CCAR’s technical assistance, provided four times a year in training sessions, covers standards established by the Coalition, zoning laws, funding, and other key issues. About 70 people have attended each training, and seven new houses have been opened by attendees, adding 70 new beds.

Family Support and Education Groups

Recognizing the importance of engaging the family in the recovery process, CCAR has instituted family support groups and a family/ community education series.

Recovery Walks!

CCAR’s annual walk in support of recovery has become a community tradition. In 2005, an honor guard of 68 men and women with at least 10 years of recovery led the march, inspiring the 2,000 other marchers and the many others who came out to cheer for Recovery Walks!