We are aware of 33 LEROs in England working in at least 40 local authorities. Peer-led initiatives: what they are

Engaging in self-care—maintaining healthy practices, including getting abundant sleep, which bolsters the ability to ride out cravings and summon coping skills Peer support roles not only benefit the person receiving support but also the person providing it (Du Plessis and others, 2019). This is a foundational principle in the 12-step fellowship model, in which people acting as sponsors not only help others with their recovery, but in doing so strengthen their own recovery. The benefits for people in peer support roles can include: Many find in 12-step programs—Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotic Anonymous (NA) are among the best known—a caring, supportive community willing to pull each other through the temptations, the self-rebuke, and the hopelessness that especially mark the early stages of recovery. They also value having role models of recovery and someone to call on when the recovering self is an unsteady newborn. Whatever the stress relief that comes from being in a group, many others are not comfortable with the religiosity, the steady focus on the dangers of relapse rather than on growth, or the subscription to powerlessness of AA and NA. Data show that the programs are helpful for some but not for everyone. Addiction treatment is not one-size-fits-all. When someone has made the changes they want to their alcohol or drug use, and is in early recovery, recovery support services give more focus to further developing their recovery capital and recovery identity. This can: This relationship between treatment and recovery services will often blur the boundaries of operation. For example, there will be times when a treatment worker will carry out significant recovery support work as part of a person’s treatment and recovery care plan and that person has no wish to engage with RSS. Similarly, RSS and lived experience initiatives can play a vital role in providing harm reduction services to vulnerable people who are not accessing treatment. There are pathways to recovery that do not involve treatment services at all. The distinct and shared roles of specialist services in delivering recovery-oriented careOften referred to as Oxford Houses, halfway houses, or sober living homes, these facilities provide a safe, clean, and supportive environment for people transitioning out of formal treatment. Individuals live in a supportive peer environment and may be required to adhere to certain rules, such as regular drug testing, to stay at the residence. You can find houses that have been certified through the National Alliance of Recovery Residences . Recovery Community Centers

The Pathways to Recovery program will provide crucial support to people impacted by the opioid crisis who are looking for full-time employment. I encourage any resident who thinks they may qualify, to apply,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “The opioid epidemic has hurt our community and for those suffering from addiction, loss of job stability is a real issue but resources like this can assist in the long road to recovery.” Rather than focusing on alcohol and drug use or treatment outcomes, peer-led initiatives focus on supporting personal growth. This includes: It is possible to overcome shame—by driving right through it. Shame diminishes as recovery proceeds. Neuroscientist Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., who himself recovered from addiction, outlines five steps. This guidance does not replace any of the other existing guidance, but the scope and depth of this guidance is not available elsewhere. Terminology about lived experienceThe dotted lines around each circle signify that it should be easy for a person to access any of these specialist services at any time, and that the services should work together to support people to access other specialist and non-specialist alcohol and drug services that would benefit them. How specialist and non-specialist services work together to deliver recovery-oriented care Non-clinical pathways represent just over half of all preferred pathways of recovery. They include peer-based recovery supports, recovery community centers, educationally based recovery services, faith- and culture-based recovery supports, and recovery housing. Many of these pathways and recovery supports are offered through Recovery Community Organizations. Peer-led support groups

a range of non-structured interventions that run alongside or after structured treatment and are designed to reinforce the gains made in structured treatment and improve the client’s quality of life in general. Recovery support can include mutual aid and peer support, practical help such as housing or employment support. Connection—being in touch with others who believe in and support recovery, and actively seeking help from others who have experienced similar difficulties. Intensive support is often needed for recovery from addiction. Addiction doesn’t just affect individuals; addiction is a family affliction. The uncertainty of a person’s behavior tests family bonds, creates considerable shame, and give rise to great amounts of anxiety. Because families are interactive systems, everyone is affected, usually in ways they are not even aware of. When a person goes into treatment, it isn’t just a case of fixing the problem person. The change destabilizes the adaptation the family has made—and while the person in recovery is learning to do things differently, so must the rest of the family learn to do things differently. Otherwise, their behavior is at risk of cementing the problem in place. Peer-led initiatives help people to develop a new identity, social network and life, offering an alternative to problem alcohol and drug use. Agile and innovative Residents should apply now for the Pathways to Recovery program at middlesexcountynj.gov/pathways. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2024.

Why We Do It

Delay. Cravings diminish and disappear in time unless attention is focused on them. Negotiating with oneself for a delay of use, which doesn’t deny the possibility of future use, and then getting busy with something else, capitalizes on the knowledge that cravings dissipate in about 15 minutes.

Best D, Albertson K, Irving J, Lightowlers C, Mama-Rudd A and Chaggar A. The UK Life in Recovery Survey 2015: the first national UK survey of addiction recovery experiences (accessed: 18 June 2023). Sheffield Hallam University, 2015. Although addiction tends to cut people off from longtime friends, social support is a significant predictor of recovery. Friends have an independent standing that family members do not, and those who are addicted typically do not have a clear picture of the impact of their behavior on themselves and others—which is why friends can play an important role in voicing credible concerns about problem behavior and encouraging someone to seek or stay in treatment. They may know something about the person’s deepest aspirations and voice them as a reminder that can help the person remain on the road to recovery. Friends can be vital sources of support on the bad days. And they can help plan healthy joint activities to ensure that there are good days. Are the program’s services based on scientific research and principles? Such evidence-based care is linked to better outcomes.Researchers have studied the experiences of many people who have recovered from substance use and identified key features of the recovery process. One widely used model can be summed up in the acronym CHIME, identifying the key ingredients of recovery. Above all, change takes courage. It always exposes people to the possibility of failure. The prospect of change engages people in an inner dialogue about hope, disappointment, and accountability.