Mission

APAA is a recovery community organization offering peer-to-peer assistance in finding services that support recovery, reduce relapse, and promote wellness. Particular emphasis is on serving people who are in pre-recovery, have co-occurring disorders, are involved with the criminal justice system, or are making a transition into or out of publicly funded treatment. Also targeted are youth and family members.

Peer Coaching

Peer coaches are the heart of the APAA program. Trained and supervised by a senior coach, they are on hand at all times in APAA’s offices and in a number of settings in stakeholder organizations collaborating with APAA. These settings include a number of drop-in centers operated by the public treatment provider in Dallas and five Dallas courtrooms. In all of these settings, the peer coaches provide recovery “priming” and help people connect to resources that support recovery.

Life Skills Classes and Wellness Activities

APAA is reaching 250 people a month in a variety of activities, ranging from career planning classes to recovery mentoring workshops. Education and career planning sessions conducted by peer leaders include GED preparation, reading and study skills, job exploration, and job readiness coaching. The wellness program, centered at the APAA Wellness Center, includes workshops on such topics as relapse prevention, nutrition, stress and anger management and yoga and meditation classes. All wellness activities stress holistic health and incorporate the “stages of change” model of recovery.

Clean Teens

Youth in juvenile court are offered a chance to be part of APAA’s Clean Teens and Family Recreation Group. Peer coaches and others in recovery spend time with teens and their families in a variety of recreational activities.

Co-occurring Recovery Education Groups

Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA) support groups meet weekly to enable peers to learn more about mental illness and recovery. Participants in a peer-led class called Recovery 101 discuss powerlessness vs. power, similarities between substance use disorders and mental illness, definition and stages of recovery, common recovery issues, spirituality, the hero’s journey, and other topics.

Katrina Evacuees

APAA continues to provide peer recovery support services for Katrina ssurvivors new to the Dallas community and participates on the City of Dallas Katrina Task Force.

ATR-Access to Recovery

The Texas ATR initiative is providing funding for APAA peer services to populations covered by the initiative, including services to Katrina survivors and services provided through the Divert Court and the Probation Department. APAA and the El Paso Alliance (a former RCSP grantee) are working with the State to initiate a process for accrediting peer recovery support services in Texas.

APAA Safe Haven Housing

APAA provides transitional recovery housing for those needing extra support during the early stages of recovery.