Support those in recovery by becoming a recovery ally

The support of others is critical to someone in recovery. A recovery ally is someone who offers support to a person who has a substance use disorder. This is not a career field or a paid position; it is simply a person who has taken the time to develop a solid understanding of how they can best support someone in recovery. A recovery ally can be a family member, a layperson, a friend, an employer, a health care provider, a teacher, or anyone else who has a relationship with someone who is struggling with a substance use disorder.

To be a recovery ally, you need an understanding of what the person is going through. You need to know what might trigger the person’s craving, what words will cause them to doubt themselves and their ability to recover when their most challenging times are, and what situations they might need to avoid.

Northwestern Prevention Collaborative is offering a free, virtual Recovery Ally training on January 26, 2022, from 1 pm to 4 pm. This training, developed at Virginia Commonwealth University, is designed to increase a communityʼs recovery capital, decrease stigma and grow intervention skills. It offers a basic overview of the science of addiction and addresses what an ally does. Other modules during the three-hour training may address Racial Justice and Recovery, Philosophies of Care & Pathways to Recovery, Families, and Language.

For people with limited exposure to treatment or recovery, this training provides starting points to support people struggling with substance use disorders. For professionals or people with a great deal of lived experience, it will provide a set of slides, tools, and approaches that may be helpful with clients or family members.

This training will be conducted by Tom Bannard, CADC, MBA, the Program Coordinator for Rams in Recovery at Virginia Commonwealth University, and by Rev. Jan M. Brown, MA, CPRSS, the Founding/Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul.

To register for this free, online workshop, visit https://tinyurl.com/y6aodsyn.

This free training is made possible by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $333,333.33 with 0% percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

About Northwestern Prevention Collaborative
The Northwestern Prevention Collaborative covers the Lord Fairfax Planning District, encompassing the City of Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. One of their current areas of focus is on opioids, with dual goals of preventing young people from misusing prescription drugs and reducing the number of heroin/prescription drug overdose deaths. The Collaborative is a partnership between Page Alliance for Community Action, Family Youth Initiative, Warren Coalition, Northern Shenandoah Substance Abuse Coalition, and the Prevention Department of Northwestern Community Services and is funded, in part, through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Health Services Resources Administration and the Substance Abuse Mental Health and Services Administration.